If you think of LLMs as programs. The weights and inference code are very much a binary.

While the training code and data are the true source. Since if you want to robustly modify the LLM that's actually what you need.

But since "compilation" (training) is extremely compute intensive this isn't something accessible to anyone without an entire datacenter.

Anyway semantics aside having the binary is still infinitely better than dealing with an api as far as privacy and control go.

> I literally don't know what else you are demanding for the "open source" label.

you need to "literally" go read the definition of open source software or even ask an LLM to define it for you. Weights + inference code are not the source code they're more like the compiled binary. Making modifications to the behavior of a model with additional training is like writing a mod for minecraft. Sure, you can change things but it doesn't make it open source.

Calling these models "open source" is an old trap that software companies use to use. Free to download but then, once you're fully comitted, the trap snaps shut and you must pay up to continue.

> I literally don't know what else you are demanding for the "open source" label

Training data and code.