Welcome back to Daily Zaps, your regularly-scheduled dose of AI news ⚡️ 

Here’s what we got for ya today:

• 📓 Official definition of “open source AI” released

• 📈 OpenAI adds 5M users in two months

• 💡 Meta developing own AI search engine

• ❌ U.S. blocks investments in China’s AI

Let’s get right into it!

Sign Up | Advertise | Tools

TECH

Official definition of “open source AI” released

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) has introduced its definition of "open" AI, challenging tech giants like Meta, whose Llama model doesn’t meet these open criteria. OSI’s standards require open AI systems to disclose the training data, source code, and model weights, ensuring transparency and reproducibility. Although Meta allows public use of Llama, it restricts commercial applications with large user bases and doesn’t disclose training data, citing safety concerns and competitive advantage.

This opacity, critics argue, is motivated by legal risk mitigation. As AI evolves, OSI’s principles are now pushing the industry to decide: adopt genuine openness or retain control, with key voices warning against “open washing” that skirts true transparency.

STARTUPS

OpenAI adds 5M users in two months

OpenAI generates most of its revenue from consumer subscriptions, with about 75% coming from paid users of its ChatGPT chatbot, according to CFO Sarah Friar. ChatGPT’s paid plan starts at $20 per month, and the platform currently has 250 million weekly active users, with 5-6% converting to paid subscriptions.

Although OpenAI is expanding its enterprise business and has already signed up 1 million corporate users, consumer growth remains the primary revenue driver. To support its ambitious AI advancements, including developing AGI, OpenAI recently secured $6.6 billion in funding and a $4 billion credit line. The company is also advocating for significant infrastructure investments, aiming to establish large data centers in the U.S.

BIG TECH

Meta developing own AI search engine

Meta is building its own AI-powered search engine to reduce its dependence on Google and Microsoft. This search engine would provide AI-generated summaries on current events through the Meta AI chatbot on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. Right now, the Meta AI bot uses Google and Bing for recent news, but that may change soon.

Meta’s web crawler has been actively gathering data online, and a team has spent about eight months creating a content database for the chatbot. Meta is also working on location data that could compete with Google Maps and has signed a multi-year deal with Reuters, allowing the chatbot to use its news articles.

GOVERNMENT

Treasury Department blocks U.S. investments in Chinese AI

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Final Rule implementing Executive Order 14105, aiming to limit U.S. investments in critical technologies that could threaten national security if developed by countries of concern, notably China.

The rule, effective January 2, 2025, restricts U.S. persons from certain transactions involving semiconductors, quantum technologies, and artificial intelligence and requires notifications for others. The Final Rule clarifies obligations, transaction categories, technical specifications, notification requirements, and penalties, all managed by the newly established Office of Global Transactions within Treasury.