Synopsis

In Open Source AI is Going Mainstream, Leon Furze explores the growing significance of open source artificial intelligence beyond the GPT-5 hype cycle. He begins by clarifying what “open source AI” actually means, noting that the term has become contentious—many so-called “open source” models from companies like Meta are more accurately described as “open weights,” since their underlying architecture, training processes, and datasets remain proprietary. True open source projects expose their entire codebase to public examination and adaptation.

Furze highlights the rising geopolitical importance of open source AI. The European Union is recommending member states prioritize open source to reduce dependence on US big tech, with German government institutions and Switzerland leading the charge. China has released large-scale open source models like DeepSeek, and even the US AI Action Plan now recommends focusing on open source to compete globally.

Originally published at: https://leonfurze.com/2025/08/11/open-source-ai-is-going-mainstream/

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