UN Open Source Week, AI Fellowship, and 2025 Annual Report

Members Newsletter – July 2026

Dear OSI community,

It’s been a busy month. 

Two weeks ago, I was joined by several staff and board members at UN Open Source Week. It’s remarkable to think about how this event has evolved to become one of the must-attend Open Source events on the calendar. The UN held their first of these events as a one-day session in 2023, attended by about 60 people (or so I’ve heard – I wasn’t one of them). This year there were over 1400 people attending a full week of plenaries, workshops, discussions, and community-led side events, with an after-hours calendar packed with receptions, side-meetings, dinners, and happy hours. It seemed everyone was in town, and so everyone came to town.

At the invitation of Under-Secretary-General Amandeep Singh Gill, we were honored to host a private briefing on Open Source and Open Source AI. All 193 UN Member States were invited to the briefing, in which we shared historical context for the OSI, the Open Source Definition, and the Open Source AI Definition. The briefing served as a launch point for engaging more broadly with member states to understand their needs with regards to Open Source and Open Source AI, in an environment where the global policy landscape is rapidly evolving with regards to both.

To support this evolving landscape, we announced our new Open Source AI Fellowship Program and the hiring of Gabriel Toscano. This program will be the primary driver of the OSI’s Open Source AI work going forward. More to come on the Fellowship once Gabriel has his feet under him.

Oh yeah, and in the run up to the event, we pushed out the 2025 Annual Report. It was a little later than normal this year, due to the leadership transition. We’ll do better next time.

If you’re looking to catch up with me in-person, and you don’t live in NYC, your next opportunity will be FOSSY in Vancouver, from August 6-9. I’ll be presenting a session on Sunday, August 9th: The Open Source AI Definition: Where Do We Go From Here. I hope to see you there.

Warm regards,

Duane O’Brien

Executive Director, OSI 

News from the OSI

The OSI 2025 Annual Report Is Now Available

The Open Source Initiative’s 2025 Annual Report documents a year in which Open Source found itself at the center of major debates around AI, cybersecurity, sustainability, and public policy.

Open Source AI Fellowship Announced at UN Open Source Week

The OSI is pleased to announce the launch of the Open Source AI Fellowship at UN Open Source Week. The fellowship will support OSI’s work to advance understanding, measure trends, engage in policy, and build consensus around what it means for an AI system to be labeled “Open Source.” Through this program, OSI aims to serve as a hub for Open Source AI by coordinating evidence, partnerships, and engagement on key policy and governance issues.

Engaging on Age Attestation Policy in Brazil

OSI recently submitted comments to Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) regarding its draft guidance on technology providers under the ECA Digital framework, a law to protect children and teenagers in digital environments.

OSI in the news

News from OSI affiliates and community

News from OSI affiliates and partners

News from community members

Research and white papers

OSPO

AI

Events

Upcoming events

Check the top 50+ Open Source conferences of 2026 that the OSI is tracking, including events that intersect with AI, cloud, cybersecurity, and policy.

Thanks to our sponsors

New sponsors and renewals

Interested in sponsoring, or partnering with, the OSI? Please see our Sponsorship Prospectus and our Annual Report. Please contact the OSI to find out more about how your company can promote open source development, communities and software.

Support OSI by becoming a full member

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Shared by: voicesofopensource July 8, 2026

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