- More experts are advocating for transparency and open sourcing in artificial intelligence (AI) development to avoid the risk of a few powerful companies controlling the technology.
- Meta (formerly Facebook) is one company taking an open approach to AI development, with its Fundamental AI Research group (FAIR) openly publishing and sharing its research.
- Meta’s Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, insists on the practice of open research and believes that AI will be transformational and thus needs to be publicly shared.
Technological progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been substantial, with Google recently releasing its latest model, Gemini, which has outperformed OpenAI’s best technology in some tests. However, the increasing prevalence and power of AI have raised concerns, leading to calls for more transparency and open source development in AI.
One of the leading advocates for an open approach to AI development is Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook. The company’s Fundamental AI Research group (FAIR) is leading the way in open-sourcing its AI technology and research in an effort to prevent a small number of corporations from dominating the AI landscape. FAIR, led by Joelle Pinnot, develops technologies such as Pytorch – a piece of coding infrastructure that forms the basis for much of today’s advanced simulated intelligence devices.
Yann LeCun, Meta’s Chief AI Scientist and a vocal advocate for open source AI development, is adamant about the importance of openly sharing AI advancements. He underscores the significance of decentralizing the control and development of AI and asserts that AI systems should not be controlled by a handful of West Coast US firms given their potential to house the entire repository of human knowledge and culture.
But not everyone shares LeCun’s optimism. Other leading AI figures, including Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio, warn of the possible dangers posed by AI and have called for the technology to be regulated and its development slowed down.
Despite these divergent views, advancements in AI continue to accelerate. The debate surrounding its regulation, risks, and future applications continue to evoke contrasting opinions between openness and control. While the trajectory of AI continues to unfold, it is clear that discussions on its management and potential impacts will continue to be crucial.