What is open-source AI? A software engineering researcher explains

AI models that are open source allow developers and users to see and modify the underlying program code.

By: Jeffrey Young, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 23, 2026

Words: 615

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 6 days ago

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By Jeffrey Young, Georgia Institute of Technology

You’ve probably heard artificial intelligence models described as “open” or “closed.” These are not descriptions of the model’s personality. Large language model AIs like the one under the hood of ChatGPT don’t have actual personalities, despite appearances.

The labels refer to whether all of the information about how an AI model works is publicly available and the model can be modified, or whether the model’s developer keeps its inner …

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