Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

> open weights

What exactly is this supposed to mean? That I can grab the weights by just downloading them, or something like that?

Because when I open up the HuggingFace repository, it asks me to "accept the conditions" (Google’s usage license). How is this different from any other proprietary binaries people distribute on the internet but let you run locally? Are other software (like 1Password for example) also "open software" because you can download it?



Replace "google" with "unsloth" in the browser address bar if you want to download them without signing up to hf


Regardless of where you get the weights, Google says you need to follow their terms and conditions for the model/weights:

> By using, reproducing, modifying, distributing, performing or displaying any portion or element of Gemma, Model Derivatives including via any Hosted Service, (each as defined below) (collectively, the "Gemma Services") or otherwise accepting the terms of this Agreement, you agree to be bound by this Agreement.

https://ai.google.dev/gemma/terms

Worth knowing if you're planning to use this model for production usage/with a business.

So once again, I don't understand what "open" is supposed to mean when they call models like these "open weights". What part exactly is "open"?


I don't disagree but even Linux has "Terms and conditions" of usage under it's license you really need to dig into what those are.

There's no doubt Gemma's license is less permissive than other models and that it has less community finetuners for that reason.


According to the OSI's open source definition, you can't put restrictions against persons or groups or fields of use. In the license, Linux is not restricted in what domain it will be used (good or bad).

Here's OSI's argument about this when Meta's llama put such limitations in their license: https://opensource.org/blog/metas-llama-2-license-is-not-ope...


can you link to Linux terms and conditions? search returned nothing.


I guess my comment was a bit wrong, Linux has "TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION" not usage.



i think generally these companies are too afraid of the obvious rejoinder to try actually enforcing these terms


Probably, up until they aren't. Are you willing to bet against Google's lawyers feeling daring in the future? As a private individual, I sure aren't, and I don't think I'd bet my (hypothetical) business on it either.


"Open weights" refers to a license that allows you to freely (or mostly freely) copy the model file (i.e. weights). An "open source" model would be possible to build from training data, but those hardly exist.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: