## OpenAI and open source: an open debate A recent online post has reignited the debate about whether OpenAI should release the GPT-4o model as open source. The user justified his proposal by pointing out that maintaining GPT-4o, while no longer state-of-the-art, entails significant costs for OpenAI, both in economic and technical support terms. ## Pros and cons of open source The main argument in favor of the open source release lies in the possibility of reducing costs for OpenAI, freeing up resources to be allocated to newer models. Furthermore, the initiative could be seen as a conciliatory gesture towards the open source community, which is often critical of OpenAI's policies. However, concerns remain regarding the safety and potential misuse of the model, issues that OpenAI has always placed at the center of its mission. ## The context Open source machine learning has seen exponential growth in recent years, with an increasing number of models and datasets made available to the public. This approach fosters collaboration, innovation and transparency, but also raises ethical and accountability issues that require careful evaluation.