GitHub CEO, Thomas Dohmke, has called for open-source developers to be excluded from the upcoming European Union’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulations. Speaking at the EU Open Source Policy Summit in Brussels, Dohmke emphasized the significant role open source is playing in the development of AI in Europe.
The new regulations, known as the AI Act, are set to be introduced to govern the use of AI applications, with the first draft expected to be voted on by the European Parliament in the coming months.
Open Source Community at Risk?
Critics argue that the AI Act could negatively affect the open source community, with legal liabilities for general-purpose AI systems and an advantage for big tech firms.
This could also hinder the progress of AI. Dohmke noted that the AI Act would have a global impact as Europe is at the forefront of technology regulations, as evidenced by its data privacy and protection regulations under GDPR.
Open source and AI are intrinsically linked, and Microsoft and GitHub, the owners of GitHub, stand to benefit from the growth of open source. However, they also recognize the potential legal battles they may face with the introduction of AI regulations.
Dohmke emphasized that open source developers, often volunteers and hobbyists, should not bear the burden of compliance and that the responsibility should fall on companies shipping products. He believes that the AI Act can benefit European values and fundamental rights, but lawmakers have a significant role to play in ensuring this is achieved.
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