The growing concerns surrounding the use of centralised and proprietary artificial intelligence find a possible solution in the open source universe — a horizon of hope for building more transparent, ethical, and community-driven tools. But what lies behind the expression “open source artificial intelligence models”, and who are the actors responsible for regulating and governing the growth of these innovative tools?

As is now well known, the recent rise of artificial intelligence stems from the convergence of two key factors: the vast amounts of data generated by contemporary digital life—readily available online—and the ongoing advancement of computational power.
While the accumulation of data is an intuitive phenomenon, rooted in our daily experience, the evolution of computing capabilities follows more complex and less tangible dynamics. Yet these are crucial to fully understanding the nature and limitations of AI.

In today’s context, the issue of digital sovereignty plays a strategic role, directly impacting the ability of governments and institutions to manage data, infrastructure, and technology independently. According to Fausto Gernone, a competition economist specialising in digital ecosystems, Europe is currently facing a structural delay stemming from decades of neglect of issues that are now increasingly central to its technological and political self-determination

The expansion of design possibilities in architecture passes through an expansion of knowledge of reality. In this scenario, artificial intelligence, with its dual exploratory and generative nature, asserts itself as a tool capable of shaping new forms and nurturing new knowledge. But, as happens every time one enters unexplored territories, each step forward requires a firm consolidation of the newly conquered space. However invisible and intangible, the same process is occurring with AI. The creation of new scenarios imposes the need to redefine ethical frameworks, which are essential to guide future choices and establish criteria by which to measure the quality of new processes.

Although the functioning of machine learning algorithms may seem abstract and difficult to decipher, they rely on a series of structured processes that make them vulnerable to specific threats. Understanding the risks these tools are exposed to is essential for developing greater awareness in their use.

George Guida, researcher at the Harvard Laboratory for Design Technologies, is co-founder of ArchiTAG and xFigura. An expert in AI for architecture, he integrates technology and design with global and academic projects.

The original promise of the Internet, namely a free and open space for aggregation and democratic participation, has been betrayed. This is the thesis at the heart of the essay Rebooting the System. How we broke the Internet and why it is up to us to readjust it by journalist and media and technology expert Valerio Bassan, published by Chiarelettere in 2024.

Unlike the great inventions of the past, which were tangible and visible, algorithms operate opaquely, hidden behind complex mathematical language. In a historical moment where these digital entities not only observe but influence our daily lives, the need to shed light on these mechanisms has become essential. Claudio Agosti (vecna) is a self-taught hacker from the past century, fascinated by the challenge of how humanity can use the internet as a tool for liberation and disintermediation. For him, cryptography, peer-to-peer networks, bypassing censorship, and critiquing digital power are daily bread. He is a member of Hermes – Hacking for Human Rights.