• ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    I believe what they’re referring to is the training of models on open source code, which is then used to generate closed source code.
    The break in connection you mention makes it not legally infringement, but now code derived from open source is closed source.

    Because of the untested nature of the situation, it’s unclear how it would unfold, likely hinging on how the request was formed.

    We have similar precedent with reverse engineering, but the non sentient tool doing it makes it complicated.

    • wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz
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      13 hours ago

      That makes sense. I see the problem with that, and I don’t have a good solution for it. It is a divergence of topic though, as we were discussing open-source programmers using LLMs which are potentially trained on closed-source code.

      LLMs trained on open-source code is worth its own discussion, but I don’t see how it fits in this thread. The post isn’t about closed-source programmers using LLMs.

      Besides, closed-source code developers could’ve been stealing open-source code all along. They don’t really need AI to do that.

      Still, training LLMs on open-source code is a questionable practice for that reason, particularly when it comes to training commercial models on GPL code. But it’s probably hard to prove what code was used in their datasets, since it’s closed-source.

      • ricecake@sh.itjust.works
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        6 hours ago

        I don’t really see it as a divergence from the topic, since it’s the other side of a developer not being responsible for the code the LLM produces, like you were saying.
        In any case, it’s not like conversations can’t drift to adjacent topics.

        Besides, closed-source code developers could’ve been stealing open-source code all along. They don’t really need AI to do that.

        Yes, but that’s the point of laundering something. Before if you put foss code in your commercial product a human could be deposed in the lawsuit and make it public and then there’s consequences. Now you can openly do so and point at the LLM.

        People don’t launder money so they can spend it, they launder money so they can spend it openly.

        Regardless, it wasn’t even my comment, I just understood what they were saying and I’ve already replied way out of proportion to how invested I am in the topic.