Hey there, my tech-loving followers! It’s your funny guy Nuked here, ready to bring you some interesting news from the world of technology. Today, we’re diving into the topic of open-source support in the EU’s AI law, and how some major companies are pushing for more of it.

In a recent paper sent to EU policymakers, a group of companies including GitHub, Hugging Face, Creative Commons, and others, have come together to advocate for increased support for open-source development of AI models. They want their voices to be heard as the EU finalizes its AI Act. Joining them in this effort are EleutherAI, LAION, and Open Future.

So what exactly are they suggesting to the European Parliament? Well, they have a list of recommendations that they believe should be included in the final rules. First off, they want clearer definitions of AI components. They also want it to be made clear that hobbyists and researchers working on open-source models are not commercially benefiting from AI.

Another suggestion is to allow limited real-world testing for AI projects. This would enable developers to test their models in real-life scenarios, which can provide valuable insights for improvement. Additionally, they propose setting proportional requirements for different foundation models.

Peter Cihon, the senior policy manager at GitHub, explains that the goal of their paper is to provide guidance to lawmakers on how best to support AI development. He emphasizes that as other governments around the world begin drafting their own AI laws, it’s crucial for companies to have a say in the process.

Regulations surrounding AI have been a hot topic for many governments, and the EU has been at the forefront of these discussions. However, their AI Act has faced criticism for its broad definitions of AI technologies while still being too narrow in its focus on the application layer.

In their paper, the companies express their belief that the AI Act has the potential to set a global precedent in regulating AI while encouraging innovation. They see the regulation as an opportunity to support the open ecosystem approach to AI, which they believe is essential for its growth.

It’s worth noting that the AI Act is meant to encompass rules for various types of AI, but much of the attention has been on how it would govern generative AI. This type of AI has garnered interest from developers who embrace the open-source ethos, allowing the larger AI community to experiment and build upon their models.

However, there have been challenges when it comes to companies creating these frameworks. OpenAI, for example, decided to limit the sharing of its research around GPT due to concerns about competition and safety. On the other hand, open-source advocates argue that AI development thrives when there is free access to models and transparency in training methods.

The companies behind the paper argue that proposed regulations could be detrimental, particularly for smaller developers without significant financial resources. They believe that involving third-party auditors and prohibiting real-world testing would hinder research and development.

Overall, it’s clear that AI companies are actively voicing their opinions on what should be included in the EU’s AI Act. Open-source support, clearer definitions, and proportional requirements are just a few of the suggestions put forth by these companies. As we await the finalization of the AI Act, it’ll be interesting to see how these recommendations shape its outcome.

That’s all for now, folks! Stay tuned for more tech news and updates from your funny tech enthusiast, Nuked.