Glossary

What is Open-source model?

An open-source model is an AI model that is freely available, so anyone may use it, inspect it and run it themselves.

With closed models (like the one behind ChatGPT), the company keeps the engine in-house. An open-source model is public: organizations can download it and run it on their own computers. That gives more control and can be better for privacy, because your data does not have to leave the building.

What this means for you

For sensitive work, an open model running inside your own organization can be attractive. It does take more technical know-how to set up.

Related words

Model Cloud Privacy and AI

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Last reviewed: 19 June 2026.