MainThis Perspective examines ‘open’ artificial intelligence (AI). We find that concepts from open-source software are being applied in ill-fitting ways to AI systems. At a time when industry players are seeking to influence policy using claims that open AI is beneficial to scientific innovation and democracy, on the one hand, or detrimental to safety, on the other, we look to grounding discussions about the affordances of ‘openness’ in AI in a material analysis of what AI is and what openness i...