OSI to host State of the Source Track on Tuesday, October 14

The Open Source Initiative (OSI), the organization that defines and protects what it means to be Open Source, is coming to All Things Open with a track designed to connect developers with the big policy conversations shaping our ecosystem. For over 25 years, OSI has worked to keep Open Source truly open,safeguarding licenses, building trust, and ensuring the community’s voice is heard when decisions about technology are being made.

In this track, we’ll go beyond code and dig into the policies that impact your work every day. Join us for Licensing 201, an advanced but practical look at how licenses get approved and why the right choice matters for community health. Explore real-world approaches to Sustaining Open Source, from new funding models to global procurement policies. Get the latest on Cybersecurity and Open Source, with updates on SBOMs, the Cyber Resilience Act, and what developers need to know. And  finally, we’ll dive into AI & Data Governance and the State of “Open” AI, unpacking what it really means when models call themselves open.

2025 Schedule

This track will take place Tuesday, October 14 in Room 301B.

11:30 am (45 minute session)

Licensing 201

Deb Bryant, Open Source Initiative & Pamela Chestek, Chestek Legal

This essential session is an advanced primer on Open Source licenses and why one should care, which are most commonly used and why. Also included are insights into the OSI license process and who are involved in considering and approving new licenses based on the Open Source Definition, plus which have been approved in the last five years. Topics include  challenges, successes, best practices, operational policies, and resources.

12:45 pm (45 minute session)

Beyond the Bottom Line: Sustaining the Open Source Ecosystem

Ruth Suehle, Apache Foundation, Patrick Masson, Apereo Foundation, & Amir Montazery, Open Source Technology Improvement Fund

Sustaining the Open Source ecosystem has always been a difficult proposition. Our current geopolitical environment makes that even more difficult. But there are ways forward and it’s incumbent on us to explore them. 

This session will discuss ideas for sustaining the Open Source ecosystem and the communities that support them: developers, maintainers, deployers, stewards, etc. It will outline the various proposals from public-private partnerships to procurement policies and  sovereign tech funds. Participants will learn the latest on these ideas, provide feedback, and offer new ones. The conversation will encompass approaches from across the globe with a focus on actions that can be taken in the United States. 

1:45 pm (45 minute session)

Policy: Cybersecurity

Jeremy Stanley, OpenInfra Foundation, Barry Peddycord III, SAS, & Bob Callaway, Google

Security of Open Source software is a constant topic of conversation with policymakers as they work to understand how Open Source fits into the supply chain and broader cybersecurity efforts. It’s important that practitioner voices are heard in these policy discussions. This session will provide practitioners and other interested parties with information about the current policy landscape as it relates to Open Source and cybersecurity. Participants will hear the latest updates focusing on the US and EU / UK and learn about opportunities for community participation and feedback in forthcoming cybersecurity policy discussions. Specific topics will include: Software Bill of Materials, Encryption, the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act, and more.  

2:45 pm (45 minute session)

Policy: AI / Data Governance

Katie Steen-James, Open Source Initiative & Nick Vidal, Open Source Initiative

AI and discussions about what it should and shouldn’t do are everywhere. The same is true in the policy space as lawmakers try to make sense of the technology and what it means for society. Complex topics like training data and fair use, disclosure and transparency in AI systems are all being debated across state capitols and in Washington. This session will provide an update on the latest policy developments and conversations at the intersection of Open Source and AI. It will include a debrief of OSI’s recent virtual event: Deep Dive: Data Governance, an overview of state legislation, and the White House’s AI Action Plan, among other topics. 

3:45 pm (45 minute session)

State of the “Open” AI

Gabriel Toscano, Open Source Initiative

The AI boom, driven by unprecedented investment and access to tools, has spawned a flood of models claiming to be “open.” The October 2024 release of the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) sought to anchor the term in clear, unambiguous standards. Yet, the concept and application of openness in AI are nascent and inconsistently understood. Drawing on a growing set of current AI models described as ‘open,’ this session explores how the term is currently applied and describes how different conceptions of open AI relate to the use, sharing, study, and modification of these models. 

Speakers