Members Newsletter – September 2025
Dear Open Source Initiative supporters,
The Open Source Initiative is entering a busy season with opportunities for our community to learn, contribute, and shape the future of Open Source.
October 1-3 we’ll host Deep Dive: Data Governance, bringing together world-class experts to explore responsible and systematic access to data in AI systems. This virtual event will highlight how Open Source principles must guide the governance of data—and by extension, AI—to ensure transparency, equity, and accessibility. Full details and registration are available on our blog. We hope you’ll join the discussion and help shape the future of Open Source AI.
Next, OSI is proudly hosting a track on October 14 at All Things Open (ATO), where we’ll lead several sessions on the policy and practice of Open Source. From Licensing 201 with Deb Bryant, to Sustaining Open Source with Ruth Suehle, to important panels on Cybersecurity, AI/Data Governance (Katie Steen-James and Nick Vidal), and the State of “Open” AI (Gabriel Toscano), this year’s program promises both depth and breadth. These conversations will connect OSI’s mission—freedom, collaboration, and openness—to some of the most urgent policy challenges facing our ecosystem.
We encourage you to engage, whether by registering for the Data Governance Deep Dive or joining us at ATO. Your voice ensures that OSI’s advocacy continues to reflect the needs and insights of the broader community.
See you in the conversations ahead!
Stefano Maffulli
Executive Director, OSI
I hold weekly office hours on Fridays with OSI members: book time if you want to chat about OSI’s activities, if you want to volunteer or have suggestions.
News from the OSI
Deep Dive: Data Governance brings world-class experts together
The schedule for the Deep Dive: Data Governance virtual conference is now live. Taking place October 1–3, this premier three-day event will bring together industry leaders and world-class experts to explore the latest advancements in Data Governance and Open Source AI.
Report from OSS EU 2025 and AI_dev: What’s next for OSAID
At this year’s Open Source Summit EU (OSS EU 2025) and AI_dev EU 2025, Stefano Maffulli, Executive Director of OSI, and Jordan Maris, OSI’s EU Policy Analyst, presented a summary of 10 months since the release of the Open Source AI Definition v1.0.
New resource on AI & Open Source for U.S. policymakers
The OSI has put together a new resource to educate policymakers (state and federal) in the United States about Open Source software as they consider various AI policies.
OSI in the news
What Is Open Source AI Anyway?
Article from The New Stack
At the Open Source Summit in Amsterdam, I sat down with Maffulli to talk about the current state of the discussion. He noted that not only has the conversation started but that the definition has become a tool for the OSI to engage with politicians, including the European Commission, where the AI Act, for example, will go into full effect in August 2026.
Other highlights
No, Grok 2.5 has not been open-sourced. Here’s how you can tell (ZDNET)
GPT-5 is getting all the buzz. But the new open models of AI matter more (Fortune)
Read all press mentions from this past month
Other news
News from OSI affiliates and partners
Drupal Association: Funding Open Source like public infrastructure
WordPress Foundation: Portland Welcomes WordCamp US 2025: A Community Gathering
Apache Software Foundation: 2025 Annual Report
Python Software Foundation: Python: The Documentary | An origin story
Python Software Foundation: The 2024 Python Developer Survey Results are here!
Eclipse Foundation: Policy Influence in Action: ORC’s Growing Role
Linux Foundation: The State of Sovereign AI (report)
Linux Foundation: The State of Open Source in Europe: From Passion, to Prioritization
TODO Group: The OSPO Book is Now Available in Print!
Notable news
CISA: A Shared Vision of Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) for Cybersecurity
Microsoft: Bringing BASIC back: Microsoft’s 6502 BASIC is now Open Source
Survey
DPGA Global Open Source Policies & Practices Survey
The OSI and the DPGA, in coordination with 24 partners, has launched the Global Open-Source Policies & Practices Survey to map the current use of open-source-first approaches across governments and public-interest institutions.
Events
Upcoming events
Community over Code NA (September 11-14 – Minneapolis)
Open Source Conference (October 1 – Luxembourg)
Deep Dive: Data Governance (October 1-3 – Online)
All Things Open (October 12-14 – Raleigh)
Code & Compliance (October 22-23 – Brussels)
OpenForum Academy Symposium (November 18-19 – Rio de Janeiro)
DPGA Annual Members Meeting (November 24-26 – Brasilia)
Thanks to our sponsors
New sponsors and renewals
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See all sponsors
Interested in sponsoring, or partnering with, the OSI? Please see our Sponsorship Prospectus and our Annual Report. Please contact the OSI to find out more about how your company can promote open source development, communities and software.
Support OSI by becoming a full member
Let’s build a world where knowledge is freely shared, ideas are nurtured, and innovation knows no bounds! Join as a full member!
Source: opensource.org