Open source

With ordinary software, only the company that made it can see inside. Open source opens up the source code that makes up the program to everyone. Developers around the world improve it together and add features. Linux, which underlies servers and Android phones, is a typical example.

It is often free to use, but that does not mean "you can use it any way you like." The license that comes with it sets how you may use it. In AI, open-source models, where the model itself is released for download, and many tools for working with AI come out this way.

It is like an online encyclopedia that anyone can read and edit. Many people fix mistakes and add content, and it gets better little by little.

A large share of AI tools and models come out as open source, so the technology spreads quickly. You can look inside, which makes it easier to trust, but the user has to check who will maintain it over the long run and whether there are security holes.