OSI Clarifies That Meta LLaMA 2 License Fails Open Source Standards
The Open Source Initiative states that Meta's LLaMA 2 license is not open source because it restricts commercial use and specific fields of endeavor. OSI warns that confusing available resources with true open source software harms the tech community.
The Open Source Initiative confirms that Meta creates a major misunderstanding by calling its LLaMA 2 model "open source." Although OSI appreciates Meta lowering the barriers to access powerful AI systems, the tech giant confuses "open source" with simply providing resources under specific conditions. OSI asks Meta to correct this misstatement to avoid misleading developers and the public.
True open source software requires a license that meets all ten points of the Open Source Definition, including the strict rule against discriminating against persons, groups, or fields of endeavor. Meta's LLaMA 2 license fails this standard because it explicitly restricts commercial use for some users and bans the model from specific applications through its Acceptable Use Policy. These limitations directly violate the core open source promise of user sovereignty.
Open source licenses forbid field-of-use restrictions because developers cannot predict future beneficial applications of the technology. For example, the unrestricted Linux kernel powers everything from medical devices to rockets, but Meta's policy prohibits LLaMA 2 use in regulated substances and critical infrastructure. OSI acknowledges Meta's desire to limit competitive use, but insists this choice automatically removes the license from the open source category.