Linux Foundation Backs Open Source LLM Initiative

The arguments over how to open source AI and large language models (LLM) continue. In the latest development, the Linux Foundation has adopted the Open Model Initiative (OMI) and its efforts to keep once-open source LLMs open. 

If that sounds familiar, it should. We’ve seen many open source programs lose their open source status when their corporate overlords decide it’s more profitable to use a proprietary model. 

The OMI founders, CivitAI, ComfyOrg and Invoke, faced a similar situation. In the OMI’s launch document, the group stated that recent image and video models were released under restrictive, non-commercial license agreements, which limit the ownership of novel intellectual property and offer compromised capabilities that are unresponsive to community needs.

Restrictive AI Licenses

Invoke CEO Kent Keirsey emailed me that “the AI industry has recently trended towards more restrictive licensing for new foundation models. While some allow free, non-commercial use, there’s a growing need for truly open, permissively licensed models. This is crucial not just for enterprises but for creatives and innovators across all sectors. The Open Model Initiative aims to ensure a future where individuals and organizations can harness AI’s creative potential while preserving ownership over their intellectual property.”

Who specifically is doing this? The OMI doesn’t spell it out. SiliconAngle, however, reported the organization was founded in response to Stability AI’s recent licensing change for its popular image-generation model, Stable Diffusion 3 (SD3). That model had been entirely free and open, but the changes introduced a monthly fee structure and imposed usage limitations.

The OMI’s top goal is to create a community-driven effort to promote the development and adoption of openly licensed AI models for image, video and audio generation. This, in my interpretation, means the OMI wishes to:

1. Stop restrictive, non-commercial license agreements: Recent AI models have been released under licenses that limit the ownership of novel intellectual property and restrict commercial use.
2. Avoid compromised capabilities: These restrictive licenses often offer AI models with limited functionalities.
3. Block barriers to collaboration and innovation: The restrictive licensing terms hinder creatives and businesses from building upon each other’s work, impeding research and the creation of new products and services.
4. Prevent the concentration of power: Without open tools, powerful generative technologies could be concentrated in the hands of a small group of large corporations.
5. Eliminate recurring costs and deletion clauses: Some AI models require recurring access costs or include deletion clauses.

A Big Job

That’s a big job. Heck, it’s an enormous job. So, the OMI has become a Linux Foundation organization. Jim Zemlin, the Linux Foundation‘s executive director, said in a statement, “With the Open Model Initiative, we are taking a significant step towards making AI accessible and beneficial for everyone, building an environment where creativity and progress in AI can thrive without barriers.”

At this early stage of the game, the OMI is working on establishing a governance framework and working groups for collaborative community development. It’s also planning on conducting surveys to gather feedback on what an open source LLM should look like. 

The long-established Open Source Initiative (OSI), on the other hand, is working out what an open source AI code license should look like. The OSI plans to issue the 1.0 version of its library at the All Things Open convention in late October. OMI is far from ready to do that. Nonetheless, OMI plans to release an alpha version of its model by year’s end. 

Come that day, Keirsey said, “Through OMI’s commitment to open source development under the Linux Foundation, we believe the collective will deliver high-quality, competitive models with open licenses that push AI creativity forward, are free to use and meet the needs of the community.”

Get Involved

Sounds interesting? Come on board. The OMI invites individuals and organizations that are passionate about open source and AI to join in. Opportunities for involvement include joining working groups and contributing to developing open AI models. You can engage with the OMI through Discord and GitHub.