Over the last few years, there has been a surge in interest and adoption of generative artificial intelligence systems, and a corresponding interest in clarifying and delineating what open source should mean for AI and how to ensure AI serves the public interest. The DPGA Secretariat has been an active part of these conversations. Recognizing the transformative potential of AI, we have explored ways to democratise its benefits, advocating for public spending on AI that prioritises public interest and equitable access. Additionally, we have been examining how the DPG Standard may need to adapt in order to better determine what constitutes AI systems as a type of digital public good, via a community of practice (CoP), co-hosted by UNICEF.
This work has been unfolding against a backdrop of other initiatives and organisations similarly addressing complex questions surrounding the future development and use of artificial intelligence in the public interest domain. One such particularly important initiative has been the work to define open source AI stewarded by the Open Source Initiative (OSI) with the involvement of a large number of stakeholders and experts. After a two year long process the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) Version 1.0 was released on October 28.