Policy Readout - Columbia Convening on Openness and AI
This policy brief distills the discussions at Columbia Convening in 2024 for policymakers - identifying benefits that openness can bring to the AI ecosystem, the risk/benefit tradeoffs in opening up different components of the AI stack, and recommendations for policymakers.
Overview
On February 29, 2024, Mozilla and the Columbia Institute of Global Politics co-hosted a gathering of over 40 experts and stakeholders in AI to explore the concept of "openness" in the AI era. This diverse group included representatives from leading AI startups, companies, non-profit AI labs, and civil society organizations.
The convening aimed to help develop a better framework for what “open” means in the AI era, drawing inspiration from the pivotal role that open source software has played in technology, cybersecurity, and economic growth over the years. This work is particularly timely: as AI development shifts from research labs into customer-facing products, there has been increased usage of proprietary AI models — raising concerns about negative impacts for innovation, competition, and accountability.
