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Open-weight AI makes a model’s parameters available under stated terms. Open-source AI, as defined by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), goes further: it describes freedoms to use, study, modify, and share an AI system, supported by information about its data, its training and running code, and its parameters. Downloadable weights alone do not establish that a model meets OSI’s Open Source AI Definition.

What does “open weight” mean?

The Open Weight Definition (OWD), version 0.3, sets criteria for distributing model weights and the terms attached to them. Its criteria address whether weights are usable and available, whether redistribution and derived works are permitted, and whether terms discriminate by person or field of endeavor. The definition expressly does not require distribution of the source used to produce the weights, such as training data. Read the Open Weight Definition.

As a result, “open weight” is a claim about a particular kind of model artifact and its distribution terms—not a promise that the public can inspect the training data, reproduce training, or access all of the surrounding code. The label does not replace checking the specific release’s terms and files.

What does OSI mean by “open-source AI”?

The Open Source Initiative’s Open Source AI Definition (OSAID), version 1.0, describes an AI system that grants four freedoms: use for any purpose, study, modification, and sharing. For machine-learning systems, its preferred form for modification includes three kinds of material: data information, the complete source code used to train and run the system, and parameters such as model weights.

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OSAID also specifies terms for those materials: code must be under OSI-approved licenses, while data information and parameters must be under OSI-approved terms. The definition applies whether a release is described as a system, model, weights, or parameters. See the Open Source AI Definition, version 1.0.

Does open-source AI require publishing all training data?

No. OSAID calls for “Data Information,” not necessarily redistribution of every raw training item. That information should describe the data used, including its provenance, scope and characteristics, how it was collected and selected, and how it was labeled, processed, or filtered. It should also list publicly available or third-party-obtainable data and explain how to access it.

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OSI’s FAQ recognizes that training data can include open, public, obtainable, or unshareable nonpublic material. Where data cannot be shared, the definition calls for detailed information about it rather than requiring the raw material to be redistributed. OSI cites legal, privacy, and other constraints as reasons data may not be shareable. See the OSAID FAQs.

Open weight vs. open-source AI at a glance

Question Open Weight Definition (OWD) v0.3 OSI Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) v1.0
What is the focus? Distribution of usable model weights and the terms attached to them. Freedoms to use, study, modify, and share an AI system.
Are model parameters relevant? Yes. The definition sets criteria for distributing weights. Yes. Parameters such as weights are part of the preferred form for modification.
Does it require data information? No requirement to distribute source such as the training data. Yes. It calls for detailed information about data used, including information about data that cannot be shared.
Does it include training and running code? The definition does not require distribution of the source used to produce weights. Its preferred form for modification includes complete source code used to train and run the system.
What should settle a specific model’s status? The model’s actual terms and the artifacts made available. The model’s actual terms and artifacts, assessed against OSAID v1.0.

How to assess a model’s openness

Apply the same checks to each release you compare. A publisher’s label is useful context, but the legal terms and documented artifacts determine what users can actually do and inspect.

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  1. Check the weights and access. Confirm that usable parameters are provided or available through a clear means. Read the terms governing access and use.
  2. Check use and redistribution rights. Determine whether use for any purpose, including commercial use, is permitted, and whether users may share original or modified versions without restrictions based on the person or field of endeavor.
  3. Check the code. For an OSAID assessment, look for the complete source code used to train and run the system, not just code for inference or a demonstration.
  4. Check the data information. Look for documentation of data provenance, scope, collection, selection, labeling, processing, and filtering. Check which data is shareable, publicly available, obtainable, or unshareable.
  5. Identify what “open” means in the claim. Establish whether the publisher is using the word informally, referring to open-weight distribution, or claiming alignment with OSI’s OSAID v1.0.
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What openness does—and does not—tell you

OWD and OSAID are independently published frameworks; neither should be treated as a universally enforced legal definition across all publishers or jurisdictions. A model’s status can depend on its particular license or terms and the artifacts included in its release, so avoid classifying a named model without checking its current materials.

Open-source status is also not a safety certification. OSI’s FAQ says OSAID does not specifically guide or enforce ethical, trustworthy, or responsible AI practices. Openness alone does not establish that a model is safe, unbiased, secure, or suitable for a high-stakes use.

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