Core Considerations for Exploring AI Systems as Digital Public Goods

The unprecedented advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies was catalysed by a strong emphasis on open collaboration and sharing. In fact, the speed of innovation we have seen in recent years is powered by making research, data, and models openly accessible. As AI technologies become more prevalent, there is an urgent need to ensure they benefit society. By bringing together a wide range of perspectives, the community of practice (CoP) aims to examine the intersection of ethical AI and open source. Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, this group will delve into the complex considerations associated with AI development, its democratisation (i.e open-sourcing underlying data and models), and identify strategies for how responsible open-source AI systems can be digital public goods. While the current definition of DPGs includes “AI models”, the CoP is taking a more comprehensive approach by focusing on “AI systems” instead, including the data layer, output layer, and human-machine interaction layer. The work of the CoP will serve as a guide for updating the DPG Standard, a crucial benchmark that defines the qualities and characteristics of digital public goods.