Open source powers AI, yet policymakers haven't seemed to notice

"Open source software quietly affects nearly every issue in AI policy," wrote Alex Engler in a Brookings Institution briefing, yet this is barely discussed by government policymakers. This is a mistake, and it's one that crosses the political aisle. The Trump administration barely mentioned open source in its AI policies, while the Obama administration touted open source as driving AI innovation but stopped there. In Europe things are no better, with new regulations about AI skipping the topic of open source entirely. Given how prevalent open source has become in the artificial intelligence software that companies and governments use, policymakers would do well to pay attention, noted Engler.