Openness has been a key principle in the development of artificial intelligence technology. It encourages transparency, accountability, and collaboration, which are critical for driving innovation and ensuring responsible development of AI systems. However, as the AI industry becomes increasingly competitive, openness is under threat, with some players possibly using the openness debate to solidify their market positions.
To strike a balance between openness and sustainability, Mistral AI has introduced the Mistral AI Non-Production License (MNPL). This new licence allows developers to use Mistral AI's technology for non-commercial purposes and to support research work. At the same time, it ensures that businesses built using Mistral AI's work do so in a fair and sustainable way for all parties involved.
The MNPL is being applied to Codestral, a new AI model released by Mistral AI. One key issue is ensuring that the licence terms are clear and easily understood by developers and businesses. Mistral AI will need to provide guidance and support to help users navigate the MNPL and comply with its requirements.
Mistral AI has stated that they will continue releasing some models and code under the more permissive Apache 2.0 licence, indicating that they are taking a nuanced approach to licensing based on the specific needs of each project.
By allowing free use for non-commercial and research purposes while ensuring fair and sustainable business practices, the MNPL promotes responsible innovation and wider access to cutting-edge AI technology. Whether the model and ‘openness’ is sustainable only time will tell.