Reflecting on ML's Rise and the Shift in Open Source Culture

_onionesque · x · 2026-07-20

The author reviews the development history of the machine learning field, noting that AI's takeoff around 2011-2013 was largely attributed to the highly open and easily reproducible academic culture at the time.

However, from 2018 to 2021, a massive "scramble" for resources and technologies emerged in the industry, leading to today's controversies over closed-source AI. Furthermore, the scaling potential demonstrated by GPUs in early feedforward models, along with post-financial-crisis stimulus funds, were also key factors driving AI's accelerated development.

Related event: Open Models Act as Accelerators, Not Decelerators(9 posts)→

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