NTIA AI Open Model Weights RFC
Hello,
The United States National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) has a Request For Comments on the topic of
AI Open Model Weights [1]. The comment period closes one week from
today.
Some of the questions they are wishing to answer include:
- How should NTIA define ‘‘open’’ or ‘‘widely available’’ when
thinking about foundation models and model weights?
- How do the risks associated with making model weights widely
available compare to the risks associated with non-public model
weights?
- What are the benefits of foundation models with model weights
that are widely available as compared to fully closed models?
- Are there other relevant components of open foundation models
that, if simultaneously widely available, would change the risks
or benefits presented by widely available model weights?
- What are the safety-related or broader technical issues
involved in managing risks and amplifying benefits of dual-use
foundation models with widely available model weights?
- What are the legal or business issues or effects related to
open foundation models?
- In which ways is open-source software policy analogous (or
not) to the availability of model weights? Are there lessons
we can learn from the history and ecosystem of open-source
software, open data, and other ‘‘open’’ initiatives for open
foundation models, particularly the availability of model
weights?
- Are there concerns about potential barriers to
interoperability stemming from different incompatible ‘‘open’’
licenses, e.g., licenses with conflicting requirements,
applied to AI components?
- What are current or potential voluntary, domestic regulatory,
and international mechanisms to manage the risks and maximize
the benefits of foundation models with widely available weights?
- In the face of continually changing technology, and given
unforeseen risks and benefits, how can governments, companies,
and individuals make decisions or plans today about open
foundation models that will be useful in the future?
I imagine that there are individuals on this mailing list with
knowledge and experience to help answer these questions in a way
that is consistent with the Debian philosophy.
Sincerely,
Cory Bloor
[1]: https://www.regulations.gov/document/NTIA-2023-0009-0001
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