LF AI & Data Report: Open Source is Paramount for Sovereign AI

The LF AI & Data organization (part of the Linux Foundation), in collaboration with LF Research and Futurewei, published a report on August 26, 2025, emphasizing the critical importance of open-source software for achieving "sovereign AI." Sovereign AI is defined as a nations or organizations ability to independently develop, control, and deploy AI systems without becoming dependent on foreign vendors. According to the survey, the key motivations for this are data control (72%) and national security (69%). An overwhelming majority of respondents (81%) view open source as the primary tool for building sovereign AI. The main benefits they highlight are transparency and code auditability (69%), security (60%), and the flexibility to adapt models to local languages and cultural specifics. The report calls on governments and organizations to invest more actively in open AI infrastructure to ensure technological independence and foster global collaboration based on common standards.