Glossary
Open AI Models
AI models released with some combination of weights, code, data or documentation that others can inspect, adapt or deploy.
Last reviewed 2026-08-22
In plain language
“Open” is a spectrum: from fully documented open-source stacks to weights-only releases with restrictive licenses. Openness can support research, local adaptation, audit and competition; it can also lower barriers to misuse. Policy should specify which artifacts are open, under which license, and what evaluation accompanied release. The term is not a synonym for “safe” or “unregulated.”
Why it matters for AI governance
Openness is a live fault line in AI industrial and security policy, with implications for Global South access, academic research and concentration of power.