AI agents are evolving fast. They’re moving from simple tools to autonomous systems capable of complex tasks and real-world actions. This power raises a critical question: Should the core technology driving these agents be open (like Linux or the web itself) or closed (like proprietary software)?

At Interacly, we strongly believe that openness is essential for the responsible development and widespread adoption of agentic AI. Here’s why.

What’s the Difference?

• Closed Agent Systems: The inner workings, source code, and often the training data are kept secret by the company that built them. Think proprietary SaaS platforms where you use the agent via an API, but can’t inspect or modify its core logic.
• Open Agent Systems: The core framework, agent runtime, and potentially key components are released under an open-source license (like MIT or Apache 2.0). Developers can inspect the code, modify it, self-host it, and contribute back improvements.

Why Transparency Matters for Agents

As agents gain more autonomy – the ability to act independently to achieve goals – trusting them becomes paramount. Openness directly addresses several key concerns:

1. Trust & Verification: How can you trust an agent to handle sensitive data or perform critical business tasks if you can’t see how it works? Open source allows users (especially enterprises) to audit the code for themselves, understand its capabilities and limitations, and verify its behavior.

2. Security: Closed systems rely on the vendor finding all security flaws (“security through obscurity”). Open source leverages the power of the community (“many eyes make all bugs shallow”). More developers inspecting the code leads to faster identification and fixing of vulnerabilities.

3. Avoiding Vendor Lock-In: Relying on a single proprietary agent platform creates significant risk. What if the vendor changes pricing, shuts down, or pivots away from features you need? Open source provides freedom – the ability to self-host, modify, and switch providers if necessary.

4. Innovation & Extensibility: Closed platforms limit innovation to what the vendor prioritizes. Open frameworks allow anyone to build new tools, integrations, and specialized agents on top of the core. This accelerates progress and caters to niche use cases the original creators never imagined. Think of the vast ecosystem built around open platforms like Linux or Android.

5. Ethical Alignment & Safety: How do we ensure autonomous agents align with human values? Open discussions, transparent code, and community-driven development of safety protocols are much harder in a closed ecosystem. Openness allows for broader input and scrutiny on crucial alignment research and implementation.

“For technology as potentially impactful as autonomous agents, closed, opaque systems represent an unacceptable concentration of power and risk. Openness is a prerequisite for responsible development.” - Placeholder Quote: AI Ethics Expert

The Interacly Commitment: Open Core

This is why we are committed to an open-core model for Interacly.

• The core agent runtime, fundamental memory adapters, and tool interaction frameworks are (or will be) released under the Apache 2.0 license. Check our repo.
• This allows anyone to build, inspect, and self-host basic agent functionality.
• Our commercial offerings (Interacly Cloud, enterprise support) build on top of this open foundation, providing ease-of-use, scale, advanced orchestration features, and managed services.

We believe this model balances the need for transparency and community innovation with a sustainable way to fund continued development.

The Path Forward is Open

Closed AI systems might offer short-term convenience, but they create long-term risks. As agents become more integrated into our lives and businesses, the ability to understand, trust, and adapt them is non-negotiable.

The future of AI agents – a safe, innovative, and trustworthy future – requires an open foundation. We invite you to join the movement.

FAQ

Q1: What does ‘open-source AI agent’ mean?

A1: It typically means the core software framework or runtime for building and operating the agent is released under an open-source license, allowing anyone to view, modify, and distribute the code.

Q2: Isn’t closed-source AI more secure because the code is hidden?

A2: This is generally considered “security through obscurity,” which is fragile. Open source allows many security experts globally to inspect the code, often finding and fixing flaws faster than a single company’s internal team.

Q3: How does open source help prevent vendor lock-in with AI agents?

A3: With an open-source core, you’re not entirely dependent on one company. You have the option to self-host, modify the platform, or potentially migrate to other solutions compatible with the open standard if your vendor’s policies change.

Q4: How do open-source agent projects make money?

A4: Common models include offering paid cloud hosting (like Interacly Cloud), enterprise support contracts, premium features built on the open core, professional services, and marketplaces for extensions or templates.

Q5: Why is transparency particularly important for autonomous agents?

A5: As agents gain the ability to act independently, understanding how they make decisions and ensuring they operate safely and ethically becomes critical. Transparency through open source enables audits, community review, and broader input on safety and alignment mechanisms.