Marc Andreessen says open source AI keeps power spread out

Marc Andreessen, a co-founder of the venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, said open source AI keeps the technology from being controlled by one or two companies. He said so on the a16z Podcast, in an episode posted Thursday.

This touches families directly. Andreessen asked how a parent would feel if their kid could only learn about AI by working for one of two companies. It also bears on which apps and tools small companies can afford to build.

He said AI that anyone can download and run for free lets students see how it works. He noted that open models can run on a phone with no internet, and he gave a hiker bitten by a snake as an example. On kids, he said this at 42:32. "Every kid in the world, I think, should have as their birthright the ability to, like, fully understand and utilize this technology."

The story behind the moment is a Friday report from chaincatcher, headlined "Marc Andreessen: Open source can prevent AI from concentrating in companies or governments." It says he argued it would be unacceptable for parents if children could only learn AI technology through a few firms.

His firm backs open source work, and he said so himself. He also said he still worries that governments around the world could turn hostile to open models. He thinks open models trail the closed ones by six to 12 months. Ben Horowitz added that more researchers looking at AI could help with safety problems.

Watch the 8 minutes where he makes the case.38:21