Bart de Witte Decries "Act of War" Against Open-Source AI Amidst Regulatory Push

Prominent digital health advocate Bart de Witte, founder of the Hippo AI Foundation, has issued a stark warning against what he terms an "act of war" targeting open-source artificial intelligence. De Witte's statement, made on social media, criticizes efforts he believes are undermining transparent AI development and promoting data privatization, particularly within the critical healthcare sector. He asserted, "This woman is propagating an act of war. It's insane these calls are even taken seriously by some."

De Witte elaborates that this "act of war" is a concerted campaign by what he calls the "AI panic industrial complex" and corporate lobbying groups. These entities, he argues, are pushing for extreme regulations and licensing regimes designed to restrict open-source AI models. He identifies organizations such as Future of Life, CAIS, and Conjecture as prominent voices shaping media and policy narratives that favor closed, proprietary AI systems over collaborative, open-source alternatives.

As the founder of the non-profit Hippo AI Foundation, de Witte is a staunch proponent of open data and open algorithms to combat inequality in healthcare. His foundation advocates for making life-saving medical knowledge openly available and AI-based healthcare a common good, a stance he views as diametrically opposed to the privatization trends he criticizes. He has previously highlighted concerns about "data colonialism," where valuable data is extracted and monetized by large corporations, creating information asymmetries.

De Witte believes that the current regulatory climate in Europe, while aiming for ethical AI, is susceptible to these lobbying efforts, potentially stifling innovation and creating artificial scarcity of crucial data. He champions open standards and shared R&D as a more sustainable and equitable path for AI development, particularly in healthcare, where patient trust and data transparency are paramount. His foundation works to build an alternative ecosystem where data and AI models are openly shared under licenses that ensure collective benefit, challenging the prevailing model of data monetization and proprietary control.