AI regulation should focus on openness and ethical AI development

How do you think the DeepSeek AI model will disrupt global technology?

Red Hat believes that the future of AI is open, and centers on smaller, optimized and open models that can be customized to specific enterprise data and use cases, anywhere and everywhere across the hybrid cloud. The model and techniques behind DeepSeek R1 provide proof points for this vision, and we’re eager to see how open source communities and the AI industry build upon this breakthrough.

While OpenAI is really not so, DeepSeek is open AI. How will this influence the open source movement and democratization of AI?

The rise of models like DeepSeek underscores the growing momentum behind open source AI, reaffirming what Red Hat has believed for decades—openness drives innovation. However, true open source AI must be built on open source principles of transparency, collaboration, and accessibility.

At Red Hat, we define open source AI at a minimum threshold of open source-licensed model weights combined with open source software components. While DeepSeek takes a step in this direction, concerns remain around the transparency of its model training process. Industry-wide efforts, such as the Open Source AI Definition (OSAID) led by the Open Source Initiative (OSI), are crucial in setting clear benchmarks for what truly constitutes open AI.

At Red Hat, we contribute to the vision of democratization of AI through initiatives like InstructLab, which allows domain experts to enhance AI models without deep technical expertise, and the Granite 3.0 model family, which brings open source LLMs to real-world enterprise applications. Additionally, our work on projects like TrustyAI and Climatik aims to make AI more responsible and sustainable.

The future of AI is an open one, where smaller, optimized, and transparent models can be tailored to enterprise needs. Hybrid cloud environments, supported by platforms like Red Hat OpenShift AI and RHEL AI, further enable this transformation. As AI continues to evolve, Red Hat remains committed to ensuring that open source AI is truly accessible, ethical, and enterprise-ready.

With more models and players, are we heading for a data and security situation where it may be difficult to regulate and control the AI world?

As AI models and players continue to proliferate, concerns around data security and regulatory control are valid. However, at Red Hat, we believe that open source principles provide a strong foundation for addressing these challenges.

A key tenet of open source is transparency—when more people are involved in development, there are more eyes on the code, leading to stronger security and better oversight. While a given AI model doesn't have an exact allegory to software source code, these principles continue to be applicable. Open source AI models that provide transparent weights and are surrounded by an open software ecosystem make it more likely that potential vulnerabilities and security issues can be more easily identified and mitigated collaboratively.

This openness helps to foster not only accountability and auditability but also enables a broader community to refine AI in a more responsible manner. Our work with InstructLab and Granite 3.0 exemplifies this commitment—allowing domain experts to improve AI models without direct access to sensitive training data.

Ultimately, AI regulation should focus on openness and ethical AI development rather than restrictive control. By embracing hybrid cloud solutions and open AI ecosystems, we can help drive more adaptable and transparent AI innovations that retain a stronger security footprint, benefiting both enterprises and society at large.

How will this affect Red Hat AI?

Red Hat has always been at the forefront of open source innovation. Red Hat AI is built on the principles of transparency, collaboration, and security, making it well-positioned to integrate and support open source AI models.  

The rise of open source AI strengthens Red Hat’s offerings by enabling deeper AI and ML integrations with its platforms, such as Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Businesses using Red Hat’s cloud and container platforms can benefit from cost-effective, scalable AI solutions powered by open source models. This enhances AI-driven automation, predictive analytics, and intelligent decision-making for enterprises.  

Moreover, Red Hat AI can play a key role in fostering stronger security and greater reliability of open source AI. By leveraging Red Hat’s expertise in enterprise-grade security and compliance, businesses can deploy open source AI models with greater confidence. Red Hat’s contributions to governance and standardization efforts will help mitigate concerns around bias, data privacy, and security vulnerabilities in AI deployments.  

Overall, Red Hat sees open source AI not as a disruption but as an opportunity to drive more innovation in the AI space. By integrating open AI models within its platforms, Red Hat continues to provide cutting-edge solutions that align with its vision of an open, collaborative, and secure AI ecosystem.  

Alibaba has also released the latest AI models. How will this boost the Red Hat–Alibaba Cloud tie-up?

The introduction of Alibaba’s latest AI models presents a further choice in the AI marketplace and helps enhance the company’s existing collaboration with Red Hat. Alibaba Cloud is a key player in cloud computing, and its AI advancements can readily integrate with Red Hat’s open source solutions to deliver more robust AI-driven applications.  

Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading hybrid cloud application platform based on Kubernetes, is already optimized to deploy on Alibaba Cloud. Through the integration of Alibaba's AI models into this platform, businesses can develop and deploy AI apps with enhanced scalability, flexibility, and efficiency. This is especially useful for sectors like finance, healthcare, and e-commerce, where AI-driven automation and analytics lead to competitive edge.

Pairing Red Hat’s enterprise-grade security capabilities and open source expertise with Alibaba Cloud’s AI capabilities helps businesses deploy AI solutions while maintaining compliance and governance standards. This collaboration allows customers to harness leading AI tools while benefiting from Red Hat’s enterprise-grade infrastructure. As the adoption of AI keeps on increasing, the Red Hat–Alibaba Cloud alliance will be a key enabler of AI innovation at scale, delivering cost-efficient, high-performance AI solutions to customers.