Open Future Foundation

At the June AI and the Commons community call, we discussed the heritage sector’s relationship to generative and analytical AI. Our guests, Dr Mathilde Pavis and Michael Weinberg, provided a short overview of how the heritage sector currently engages with AI technologies and argued that the fears surrounding the impact of AI should not cause cultural institutions to question their commitment to Open Access. You can read the summary of our conversation in the link to be accessed through the comment 👇 #Heritage #AI #genAI #GLAM #OpenAccess

Our study on the impact of Share Alike/CopyLeft (SA/LA) licensing on machine learning and generative AI written by Kacper Szkalej and Martin Senftleben from the Institute for Information Law at the University of Amsterdam has been published in the SSRN repository. You can access it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/diK2JV5A #MachineLearning #genAI #CreativeCommons #CopyLeft

Last week, we responded to the EU Commission's "How to master Europe's digital infrastructure needs?” White Paper. While we agree on the need for investment, we find much of the analysis lacking. In his opinion piece building on the response, Paul Keller explains why Europe should prioritize Public Digital Infrastructure that supports democracy and fundamental rights. You can access the opinion using a link in the comment👇 #PublicDigitalInfrastructure #DigitalCommons

The European Commission asked in February: how does Europe master its digital infrastructure needs? The answer provided in EC’s white paper – strengthen European Telecoms – is flawed and fails to address real needs. In our submission to Commission’s consultation of the white paper, we argue that Europe needs to invest in Public Digital Infrastructure that is designed to protect digital rights and to promote democratic norms and values. 

🗓️ Are you interested in co-designing the Knowledge Commons advocacy strategy? Register your interest to participate in Common(s) Cause, the Wikimania 2024 side event we are organizing with Creative Commons, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Wikimedia Europe. You can find the link in the comment 👇 #DigitalCommons #CommonsCause #Wikimania2024

What do open movement activists, creators, and organizations think about regulating generative AI? Our new report, written by Alek Tarkowski and Shannon Hong, details the findings from the Alignment Assembly on AI and the Commons. Generative AI heavily relies on and impacts the Digital Commons. However, open movement communities have not yet reached a consensus on how this influence should be managed. To address that issue, together with Creative Commons and Fundación Karisma, Open Future hosted a six-week virtual assembly built on prior discussions at the Creative Commons Summit. The assembly highlighted a consensus on valuing public infrastructure and alternatives in AI, though it also revealed divergent views on regulation, indicating a need for reconciliation between “skeptics” and “interventionists.” You can read more in the report linked in the comment👇 #genAI #AI #DigitalCommons

🔎 Transparency of the data used to train AI models is a prerequisite for improving accountability in AI development and can strengthen people’s ability to exercise their fundamental rights. Under the AI Act, there is now a legal obligation to disclose information about content used to train GPAI models according to a template prepared by the AI Office. As the Office takes its final shape, we share a policy brief arguing for a robust transparency of content used to train GPAI models. This paper and the accompanying “Blueprint of the transparency template that the AI office is tasked to develop” was created in collaboration with Mozilla Foundation, drawing on input from experts. You can access the brief using the link in the comment 👇 #AI #GPAI #AIAct #DigitalRights

Known as Digital Commons, communities that self-organize to build and maintain digital resources provide essential infrastructure. “Many Digital Commons today not only maintain key contemporary infrastructures but also form some of the only alternatives to a digital landscape largely dominated by profit-seeking platforms that endanger our democracies and disregard our digital rights. Public institutions need to, therefore, further support these communities. At the same time, communities must also become increasingly aware of their societal responsibilities and take part in broader collective initiatives and partnerships.” – writes Jan Krewer in his latest post. You can find the link in his post below 👇 #DigitalCommons #PublicDigitalInfrastructure #DigitalRights

We are happy to welcome three new Open Future 2024 fellows whose research will expand our work on Digital Commons and Public Digital Infrastructure 🙌 During her fellowship, Mala Kumar will develop evidence-based policy recommendations to advance economic inclusivity and create more viable careers in Public Digital Infrastructure and Digital Commons work 👉 https://lnkd.in/dkZezzhY. Samuel A. Moore will explore how AI intersects with the research lifecycle in the context of academic publishing 👉 https://lnkd.in/dNFCi7nN   Mila Samdub will undertake a comparative study of Digital Public Infrastructures (DPIs) to produce a typology of the definitions and motivations attached to DPIs around the world 👉 https://lnkd.in/d-f4r5R5 #DigitalCommons #PublicDigitalInfrastructure #AI #OpenAccess

💌 Our June newsletter is out. ✦ meet our new fellows #PublicDigitalInfrastructure #AI ✦ check out two new reports #ResponsibleData #Copyright ✦ sign up for our events ✦ …and more Sign up or access the issue 👇 https://lnkd.in/dyk5K2hz