Analysis: Why the NTIA chief puts ‘open source’ AI in air quotes, and what it means for transparency

Alan Davidson, speaking at the Information Technology Industry Council’s Feb.7 tech policy summit, once again made a point of employing air quotes when using the term “open source” to describe a major part of the agency’s role under President Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence.

It’s a detail that could have implications for transparency, as well as security and innovation, as stakeholders and observers across the artificial intelligence space often liken having open access to artificial intelligence models to traditional...