Open Source AI and policy from the perspective of East Asia

As AI continues to transform industries globally, ensuring openness and inclusivity in its development has become a critical mission. Initiatives like OSI’s recent Open Source AI Definition and broader discussions on Open Source legal and policy frameworks at events like FOSDEM underscore this growing importance. In East Asia, grassroots movements are taking the lead in bridging linguistic and cultural divides, promoting Open Source AI as a driver of equity and innovation. These efforts were front and center at COSCUP (Conference for Open Source Coders, Users and Promoters), one of the region’s premier Open Source gatherings, where conversations focused on democratizing AI and exploring how public sectors and enterprises adopt Open Source technologies.

Two key COSCUP partners—g0v Jothon, a civic tech community, and the Open Culture Foundation (OCF), an OSI affiliate—spearheaded dedicated discussions on these themes. This article delves into their sessions, shedding light on how advocates in East Asia are addressing critical challenges in these Open Source landscapes.

Photo by COSCUP shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license

Open Data for Inclusive AI

g0v Jothon spearheads the “Traditional Chinese AI Open Source Implementation Project,” aiming to advance AI Open Source development for Traditional Chinese. This initiative supports six teams building high-quality Open Source datasets across domains like benchmarking, law, healthcare, parliamentary data, education and Taiwanese language resources. At COSCUP 2024, the project showcased its datasets, outcomes and application demonstrations. To date, it has generated over 238,000 entries of Traditional Chinese Open Source data, accessible to the public here.

The participating teams are impressively diverse. Some are formed by IT professionals, while others are led by companies specializing in linguistic data analysis. Interdisciplinary collaborations are also prominent, including partnerships between journalism foundations and startups, IT research labs and hospital doctors, and teams co-organized by teachers and technical experts.

Six Teams in the Traditional Chinese AI Open Source Implementation Project. Photo by g0v Jothon (CC BY 4.0)

Building a Sustainable Open-Source AI Ecosystem

g0v Jothon also hosted a cross-disciplinary forum on the “GenAI Open Source Ecosystem.” Panelists included representatives from Taiwan’s large language model industry, AI startup community leaders, Open Source application platform advocates, and civil AI community organizers. Moderated by the Secretary-General of Taiwan AI Academy, the discussion emphasized the importance of Open Source principles and strategies for generative AI R&D.

The forum also stressed that social responsibility in technology requires equitable access. Large corporations engaging in closed-source development were encouraged to contribute to the Open Source ecosystem. The presentations and forum videos are available on the project’s website.

GenAI Open Source Ecosystem Forum. Photo by CHR (CC BY 4.0)

Breaking new ground with Open Source policy discussions

For the first time, the Open Culture Foundation (OCF) hosted an Open Source Policy track at COSCUP 2024. Inspired by insights from FOSDEM, OCF aimed to explore how policies—whether from governments, enterprises or communities—impact the Open Source ecosystem.

The policy track featured nine sessions attended by nearly 300 participants. The diverse speaker lineup included Open Source community leaders, NGO advocates, researchers and government officials.

Key sessions:

My Experience Creating Open Source Projects in the Government
TonyQ shared a compelling narrative of his journey from external collaboration with government agencies to becoming an internal advocate for Open Source initiatives within the public sector. His session notably explored why promising Open Source projects within government often fade away despite initial momentum, highlighting the structural and cultural challenges that need to be addressed for sustainable implementation.
The Business Dilemma of Open Source Projects
Date Huang provided a comprehensive analysis of Open Source business models, drawing from real-world examples. He examined various approaches, from support-based services to pay-for-specific-version models, detailing the specific challenges each faces. His discussion particularly resonated when addressing the ultimate challenge: maintaining project sustainability while preserving the core values of Open Source development.

Tony Q shares experiences conducting Open Source projects in the public sector. *Photo by COSCUP (CC BY-SA)*

Date Huang discusses the business dilemmas of Open Source projects. *Photo by Open Culture Foundation (CC BY 4.0)*

While COSCUP has previously hosted policy-related discussions, these were often scattered across different tracks, making them challenging to follow systematically. The dedicated policy track revealed a pent-up demand for structured dialogue on Open Source policy matters. Particularly encouraging was the enthusiastic response to government representatives’ participation, with extended post-presentation discussions reflecting the community’s keen interest in public sector engagement.

The success of this first policy track suggests promising potential for future development. Looking ahead, organizers hope to establish it as a permanent fixture of COSCUP, expanding both the breadth of topics covered and the depth of discussion. This could include more focused sessions on specific policy issues and enhanced opportunities for substantive dialogue between stakeholders.

This new addition to COSCUP demonstrates the growing recognition that Open Source success depends not only on technical excellence but also on supportive policy frameworks and engaged stakeholder communities.

All about people: Why COSCUP is a key convergence point for Open Source

COSCUP, organized entirely by volunteers, is a vibrant hub for Open Source enthusiasts to exchange ideas. Now in its 20th year, it attracts 3,000 attendees annually. The event collaborates with global initiatives, such as the Celebrating 25 Years of Open Source campaign led by the OSI and the global Open Source survey led by the Linux Foundation. These partnerships underscore COSCUP’s significance within the global Open Source community, cementing its place as a favorite event among advocates.

Curious to learn more? Read COSCUP Unveiled by Paloma Oliveira.