From Cryptography to Model Weights: The Fight for Open Access
Twenty-five years ago it was cryptography, today it's model weights
Reflecting on the victory over cryptography export controls, I see history repeating with AI model restrictions. Governments are now limiting access to frontier models, binding defenders while determined attackers remain free. Just as the OpenBSD team bypassed old rules, new open-weight models from Mistral and DeepSeek are making export controls obsolete. The path to safety lies in open access, not restrictive barriers.
The determined will have the frontier. The rest of us are asked to go without, and told it is for our safety.
- Cider9986
Apparently we are still fighting for cryptography [1]. But the politicions see the value and get to use it.
Other issue that doesn't get enough attention on HN is the criminalization of writing code. Probably because it was cryptocurrency applications. First they come for the people you disagree with. Just like they first came for porn sites, and now Wikipedia is being monitored.
- aftbit
The same argument applies to DRM and piracy. DRM only disadvantages people who want to consume content legally. Only one person has to bypass it (be it through cryptographic or software failings or the good old fashioned analog hole ala telesync) then upload the resulting unencumbered media file to a piracy site.
As a result, it's not just cheaper, but also easier and more reliable to steal media than it is to buy it legally.
What would happen if media were offered without DRM? Everything would be on a piracy site? It already is.
- jameshart
Slight timeline correction: 25 years ago in 2001 Blowfish was no longer contraband - the crypto export rules had been changed by 2000. As of January 2000 Netscape and IE were both shipping 128bit DES internationally.
Still, the t-shirts with Blowfish source printed on them were a cool bit of retro hacker chic.