Tech companies call for Open-Source backing in EU’s AI Act
The group of companies has suggested some improvements to the proposed rules as EU lawmakers move toward finalizing the AI Act, with the goal of making the legislation more open-source friendly.
In a joint paper, several prominent companies, including GitHub, Hugging Face, and Creative Commons, have called on European policymakers to expand support for open-source software in the EU AI Act.
The paper outlines specific recommendations for the European Parliament, such as providing clearer definitions of AI components, distinguishing non-commercial researchers from AI users, permitting limited real-world testing for AI projects, and establishing proportional requirements for different foundation models. The alliance is advocating for increased support in open-source development for various AI technologies, such as natural language processing and computer vision. They emphasize that open-source software plays a crucial role in AI advancement and urge the EU to avoid stifling innovation with the AI Act.
The companies believe that the AI Act has the potential to set a global standard for regulating AI, by striking a balance between risk mitigation and fostering innovation. Open-source advocates assert that free access to AI models and transparency in training methods are crucial for the advancement of AI technology.
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