'Open' Science, 'Open' AI, 'Open' Education: 'Open' or Overexposed?
What do we really mean when we say “open?" Once a rallying cry for transparency, access, and collaboration, “openness” has become a defining but increasingly ambiguous feature of modern scholarship, technology, and education. Ranging across open science mandates and open educational resources (OER) to the rapid proliferation of open AI models, the term now spans a wide spectrum of practices, intentions, and consequences. This panel, sponsored by the Openness Community Group, critically examines the evolving landscape of openness across three domains: science, artificial intelligence, and education. Panelists will explore how “open” initiatives have accelerated innovation, expanded access, and fostered global collaboration, while also raising concerns about misuse, inequity, sustainability, and the erosion of trust. When does openness empower, and when does it expose? Through diverse perspectives, the discussion will surface tensions between ideals and implementation: Who benefits from openness, and who bears its risks? How do institutions balance transparency with responsibility? And what governance, infrastructure, and cultural shifts are needed to ensure that openness remains a force for good? Attendees will leave with a more nuanced understanding of openness in practice, as well as actionable insights for navigating its complexities within their own institutional contexts.
Presenters
-
Anna Ayoung-Stoute
Assistant Dean for Access, Research and Learning Services,
Florida Atlantic University
-
Patrick Masson
Executive Director,
Apereo Foundation
-
Cyril Oberlander
Library Dean,
California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt
-
Ken Udas
Vice Provost, Digital Learning Initatives,
University of Idaho