AI Rookies

Open-source Washing

Fact

Marketing that makes partly open AI look fully open-source.

In Plain Words

Open-source washing is a “free bike” sign at a yard sale. You show up and get one wheel.

Use it when you read model launches or compare AI vendors. It checks if the open promise is real.

Related Concepts

Open-source-model
Open-source washing pretends to be true open source and blurs the line.

Open weights
Open weights are often sold as full open source.

Model-licenses
Model licenses say if you can use, change, or share the model.

Closed-source Model
A closed-source model can use open talk to feel less locked down.