Over the past few months, private sector CEOs like Meta Mark Zuckerberg and xAI Elon Musk have called for open-source AI models that allow anyone to see the code on which the AI is based and build on top of it for free.
Now the US Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is also encouraging open source AI.
On a Tuesday REPORT, NTIA described how the government can encourage AI innovation by limiting risks, such as false imitations of human voices and likenesses. The report highlighted openness in AI development rather than limitations.
“Unlocking larger and more powerful AI systems will affect competition, innovation and risks in these revolutionary tools.” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson.
White House. Photo: SAMUEL CORUM/AFP via Getty Images
NTIA advised the US government to gather evidence by conducting research on the safety of AI models. It also recommended that the government continually assess the evidence and take action if necessary.
NTIA concluded that the government should monitor the state of AI, not limit it. The focus should be on innovation and international collaboration for open AI models, according to the report.
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Herb Hogue, CTO of cybersecurity company Myriad360, told Entrepreneur that the NTIA's recommended approach “seems to be a cautious middle ground.”
“This move is a calculated decision,” Hogue said. “It maintains the momentum of innovation while keeping a watchful eye on the potential need for future oversight.”
Open-source AI models benefit from being transparent: Hogue explained that these models show the code they're built on, which makes it easier to understand the technology and build public trust.
Keeping AI models open alleviates concerns about data privacy and biased training data, he said.
Zuckerberg published a letter about the benefits of open source AI development last week.
“There is an ongoing debate about the security of open source AI models, and my view is that open source AI will be safer than the alternatives,” he wrote. “I think governments will come to the conclusion that it is in their interest to support open source because it will make the world more prosperous and safer.”