Open Source AI Sparks Interest Among Founders and FTC

### Embracing Open Source AI: A​ Shift from the App-Centric Era

#### The Rise of ⁤Open Source AI

Many discussions at yesterday’s event were filled with acronyms like YC, FTC, AI, and‌ LLMs.‍ However,‍ a recurring theme was⁤ the strong support for open source AI. This‍ marks a significant shift⁢ from the​ app-focused 2010s, where developers preferred to ​package their⁢ technologies and hand them over to larger platforms for distribution.

####​ Meta’s Endorsement and the ​Reality ⁤of Open ⁢Source⁢ AI

The event took place ⁢just two days after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed that⁢ “open source AI is the path forward,” as reported by [WIRED’s Will Knight](https://www.wired.com/). Despite ‌this endorsement, the data used to train these models often remains confidential, licenses may limit developers from ‍creating ‌certain applications, and the original creators may still reap the most benefits.

#### Legislative Pushback: The AI Safety and ‌Innovation Bill

Some politicians, like California state senator⁢ Scott Wiener, have expressed concerns about the unchecked development of large-scale AI systems. Wiener’s AI Safety and Innovation Bill, SB 1047, has sparked ​debate within‌ tech⁤ circles. The bill aims to:

– Establish standards for AI​ models ‌costing over $100 million to train
– Require pre-deployment safety testing and ​red-teaming
– ‌Protect whistleblowers in AI labs
– Grant the state attorney general legal recourse if an AI model causes significant harm

####‍ Amendments and Community Feedback

Wiener spoke at the event, moderated ​by Bloomberg reporter Shirin ⁢Ghaffary, expressing gratitude to the open source community for their feedback on the bill.‌ He mentioned that the state has made⁤ several amendments⁤ in response to this criticism. One notable change is a clearer definition of how‌ to shut down an open source ⁢AI model that goes awry.

#### ‌Andrew Ng’s Advocacy for Open Source Models

The highlight of the event was a surprise appearance by Andrew Ng, cofounder of [Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/), founder of Google Brain, and former chief ⁢scientist at Baidu.⁤ Ng, like‍ many others, defended open source models.

This‍ is one of ⁤those⁤ moments where [it’s determined] if entrepreneurs are allowed ⁣to keep on innovating, or if we⁣ should be spending the money that would go towards building software on hiring lawyers.

Ng’s statement underscores the⁢ critical juncture at which the tech industry finds itself, ⁢balancing innovation with regulation.