The advancement of AI technology is accelerating, and the open-source strategy is emerging as a crucial weapon determining the competitiveness of companies and research institutions. This trend is reflected in the recent strengthening of open strategies by major AI companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic.
AI development requires vast amounts of data and tremendous computing resources. For a single company to handle this independently, the time and cost burdens are significant. Open source is gaining attention as a way to overcome these limitations. By making source codes publicly available and allowing external developers and research institutions to participate in improvements and expansions, the pace of technological advancement can be significantly increased.
AI systems need to grow collectively in various fields beyond model development, such as APIs, applications, and industry-specific solutions. Open-source strategies are promoting such expansion and contributing to increased practical applicability.
Notable examples include OpenAI’s open-sourcing of Codex CLI and Meta’s free distribution of the LLaMA 2 model. This openness enables more developers and companies to access AI technology, creating a virtuous cycle that generates new application cases.
In contrast, closed strategies hinder ecosystem expansion by blocking external collaboration. Even with excellent technology, growth may slow, increasing the risk of losing market leadership.
Open-source strategies are not without their drawbacks, including security and ethical issues. Therefore, various solutions are being discussed, such as enhancing data protection, establishing guidelines for responsible use, and building reliability verification systems.
Recently, major AI companies are adopting methods where they release key algorithms while restricting data usage or clarifying terms of use. Efforts to control access to sensitive information and prevent misuse are also expanding. These strategies, which aim to ensure the openness of open-source alongside technical reliability, form the basis for the sustainable growth of the AI ecosystem.
As AI competition intensifies, open-source has become a critical element not just for technology but also for building ecosystems. The strategy of creating an open ecosystem that encourages the participation of various entities will dictate the direction of the AI industry in the future.