CS373 - Open Source Software Scenario 3
Scenario 3: Machine Learning Infrastructure Framework
Context: A mid-sized tech company has developed a distributed training framework that makes training large language models more efficient across GPUs and multi-node clusters. It’s faster and more scalable than existing tools like Horovod. Currently, it’s only used internally and with a few paying enterprise customers.
Discussion Prompts:
- Should the company prioritize market dominance (via open source) or protect competitive advantage (via proprietary licensing)?
- What models (foundation governance, dual licensing, enterprise support contracts) might help balance openness and business sustainability?
- How do community trust and competitive risk weigh against each other in fast-moving fields like AI?