The Open Source Initiative (OSI) has introduced version 1.0 of its Open Source AI Definition (OSAID), setting new standards for AI transparency and accessibility. Developed over the years in collaboration with academia and industry, the OSAID aims to establish clear criteria for what qualifies as open-source AI. The OSI says the definition will help align policymakers, developers, and industry leaders on a common understanding of ‘open source’ in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
According to OSI Executive Vice President Stefano Maffulli, the goal is to make sure AI models labelled as open source provide enough detail for others to recreate them and disclose essential information about training data, such as its origin and processing methods. The OSAID also emphasises that open source AI should grant users freedom to modify and build upon the models, without restrictive permissions. While OSI lacks enforcement power, it plans to advocate for its definition as the AI community’s reference point, aiming to combat “open source” claims that don’t meet OSAID standards.
The new definition comes as some companies, including Meta and Stability AI, use the open-source label without fully meeting transparency requirements. Meta, a financial supporter of the OSI, has voiced reservations about the OSAID, citing the need for protective restrictions around its Llama models. In contrast, OSI contends that AI models should be openly accessible to allow for a truly open-source AI ecosystem, rather than restricted by proprietary data and usage limitations.
Maffulli acknowledges the OSAID may need frequent updates as technology and regulations evolve. OSI has created a committee to monitor its application and adjust as necessary, with an eye on refining the open-source definition to address emerging issues like copyright and proprietary data.
San Francisco-based startup Untether has unveiled a new artificial intelligence chip, the 240 Slim, tailored for energy-efficient use in edge applications like autonomous vehicles and agricultural equipment. Unlike the large-scale data center chips produced by giants like Nvidia and AMD, Untether’s product is optimised to run pre-trained AI models, which means it focuses on inference, the process of applying existing AI models rather than training new ones.
As AI becomes more embedded in everyday technologies, demand for inference-focused chips is skyrocketing. Untether’s VP of product, Bob Beachler, anticipates the inference chip market to expand to $102B by 2027, far surpassing the training sector. The 240 Slim chip is built on the open-source RISC-V architecture, positioning it as a competitor to chips using Arm Holdings’ technology. Early tests by nonprofit MLCommons have shown promising performance results for Untether’s hardware.
Untether has already gained traction in the automotive sector; Mercedes-Benz plans to use Untether’s chips in its future autonomous vehicles. With these chips, the company aims to deliver cutting-edge performance with minimal power demands, a combination that could help drive innovation in autonomous tech, agriculture, and select data center applications.
Linux creator Linus Torvalds has expressed support for removing several Russian maintainers from the Linux kernel project. This decision, announced by prominent developer Greg Kroah-Hartman, has sparked debate within the Linux community. The removals affect 11 Russian developers, largely due to compliance with new sanctions, though specific details of the removals still need to be fully clarified.
Responding to the concerns, Torvalds stated, “If you haven’t heard of Russian sanctions yet, you should try reading the news sometime,” emphasising that the changes will not be reversed.
The Linux kernel, the operating system’s core, is managed by maintainers who oversee code submissions and updates. Kroah-Hartman noted that those removed may return if they provide documentation proving independence from sanctioned entities, especially organisations associated with the Russian government.
This action has stirred reactions among developers, with some accusing the decision-makers of acting contrary to Linux’s open-source principles. Others warned that the decision could lead to future uncertainties about the participation of maintainers in sanctioned regions.
Responding to criticism, Torvalds dismissed the objections as originating from “Russian troll factories” and reaffirmed his stance, citing his opposition to Russian aggression. The move follows broader trends in the tech industry, where major US companies, like Docker Hub and GitHub, have imposed restrictions on Russian users, reflecting the impact of international sanctions on open-source software projects.
The outcome of the US presidential election will not change the course of the tech conflict with China. Both Republican Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to intensify measures aimed at limiting China’s access to American technology and resources, although their strategies will differ.
Harris is likely to adopt a focused, multilateral approach, building on Biden’s tactics by working with allies to curb the flow of advanced technology to China. In contrast, Trump’s strategy could include sweeping measures, such as expanding tariffs and aggressively enforcing export controls, possibly escalating tensions with allies who resist the US lead.
Both candidates aim to curb China’s technological advancement and its military capabilities. Harris has pledged to ensure the US remains at the forefront of the global technology race, while Trump continues to advocate for higher tariffs and tough restrictions, including denying China access to essential components like AI chips.
China has already responded to recent US actions by imposing restrictions on exports of critical materials, such as graphite and rare earths. Experts warn that the US should exercise caution, as some industries remain reliant on Chinese resources. The tech war will likely see new fronts, including connected devices, as the conflict deepens under the next administration.
Georgia‘s secretary of state’s office recently thwarted a cyberattack aimed at crashing the website used by voters to request absentee ballots. The attack, believed to have originated from a foreign entity, involved hundreds of thousands of IP addresses flooding the system with fake traffic. Despite briefly slowing the site, the attack did not disrupt the ability of voters to request ballots, thanks in part to support from cybersecurity firm Cloudflare.
Officials have yet to confirm the foreign origin, though Gabe Sterling, an election official in Georgia, suggested the attack had “the hallmarks of a foreign power.” The FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency are involved in the investigation. This incident highlights ongoing attempts by hackers, including foreign-linked groups, to interfere with the democratic process as the US presidential election approaches.
Georgia has previously dealt with cyber threats, including a cyberattack in Coffee County earlier this year, underscoring the continuous risk to election infrastructure. However, no cyber activity has affected the actual casting or counting of votes so far.
The competition between Elon Musk and Mukesh Ambani is intensifying as they vie for dominance in India’s emerging satellite broadband market. After India’s government decided to allocate satellite spectrum administratively, rather than through auction, the stage is set for a fierce battle. Musk’s Starlink, which uses low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, is poised to enter the Indian market, while Ambani’s Reliance Jio has already partnered with Luxembourg-based SES, utilising medium-Earth orbit (MEO) satellites.
The stakes are high as satellite broadband promises to bring internet access to remote areas of India, helping to bridge the country’s digital divide. Both billionaires have taken opposing views on how the spectrum should be allocated, with Ambani pushing for an auction, while Musk argues for the administrative model, aligning with international standards. India’s telecom regulator has yet to announce spectrum pricing, but projections indicate that satellite internet could reach two million subscribers by 2025.
This rivalry underscores the vast potential of the Indian market, where nearly 40% of the population still lacks internet access. Both Musk and Ambani are vying to capture this untapped segment, but pricing will be critical, especially in a country where mobile data is among the cheapest globally. Analysts predict a price war, with Musk’s deep pockets potentially giving Starlink a competitive edge, though challenges remain due to Starlink’s higher costs compared to local providers.
A group of major tech companies, including Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon, has proposed new terms for how data centres in Ohio should pay for their energy needs. This comes in response to a previous proposal by AEP Ohio that required pre-payments from data centres and cryptocurrency miners due to their large electricity demands.
Ohio has experienced a surge in power requests from data centres as tech companies expand their infrastructure for technologies like generative AI. AEP Ohio paused new data centre contracts, citing the overwhelming number of requests. The state’s power industry now faces regulatory battles that may shape how future energy demands are managed across the US.
Several companies, including power suppliers like Constellation Energy and One Energy Enterprises, initially opposed AEP’s proposal. They have now offered an alternative, suggesting a broader application of AEP’s rules to include industries requiring over 50 megawatts of power at one site. This proposal aims to modify when new customers would have to cover costs like transmission upgrades.
Any settlement between Big Tech and the power companies would need approval from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, which will play a crucial role in the outcome of this energy dispute.
The future of the .io domain may be uncertain following a new treaty in which the UK agreed to relinquish control of the Chagos Islands, the British Indian Ocean Territory, to Mauritius. The .io domain, widely used by tech startups and cryptocurrency platforms, originates from this territory, and the transfer of sovereignty calls into question whether the domain will remain in use.
The .io domain was assigned to the Chagos Islands in 1997, though the British government collected some of the revenue from its sales, much to the surprise of the Chagossian people, who were forcibly displaced in the 1960s to make way for a US military base. Now that the UK has agreed to give up the islands, it’s unclear if the domain will continue or be retired, as the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) typically phases out country code domains after political changes.
While no official decision has been made regarding the .io domain, its potential retirement follows precedents set with domains like .yu, which was phased out after Yugoslavia’s breakup. The .io domain’s future remains in limbo as Mauritius takes control of the Chagos Islands.
American Water, a major US utility, has disconnected parts of its computer network following a cybersecurity incident. The company, which serves over 14 million people, paused billing and customer service as a precaution.
The utility detected unauthorised activity on its systems on 3rd October, prompting the immediate disconnection of several systems. This step was taken to safeguard customer data and prevent potential damage to the environment.
Based in New Jersey, American Water has not yet provided further details about the nature of the breach. However, the US has faced numerous cyberattacks in recent years, often from criminals seeking cryptocurrency ransoms.
At the 79th annual UN General Assembly, 18 nations, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, and several Pacific nations, endorsed a joint statement addressing the security and resilience of undersea cable infrastructure. The statement highlights the indispensable role of these cables and underscores the pressing need to safeguard them against emerging threats, both natural and manufactured.
Earlier this year, undersea data cables in the Red Sea reportedly were damaged, and large parts of West and Central Africa were left without internet services in March 2024 because of failures on four of the fibre optic cables that run below the world’s ocean. The joint statement begins by acknowledging communications networks’ central role in modern society, with undersea cables being critical infrastructure for global data transmission.
The nations stress that the rapid expansion of undersea cable networks has led to greater interdependence among countries, making the protection of this infrastructure a priority. They advocate for adopting policies to ensure that the infrastructure remains efficient, secure, resilient, and redundant to mitigate risks posed by its vulnerability.
The joint statement outlines key principles for a unified global approach to securing undersea cable infrastructure, focusing on building resilient and secure systems while incorporating cybersecurity best practices. Nations highlighted the importance of promoting secure cable providers, improving government-industry coordination, providing transparent ownership, and emphasising careful planning to prevent disruptions. Additionally, they outlined the need to consider regular risk assessments and compliance with international laws.
