From Niche to Regime: Rethinking Openness in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

This article critically examines the evolving discourse on openness in education and science in light of recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Drawing on Geels’ Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), the authors analyze the interplay between niche innovations, socio-technical regimes, and broader landscape-level forces. They trace historical parallels with Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Science (OS), highlighting persistent challenges in translating open practices into systemic change. The paper argues for a robust theoretical grounding of openness, combined with context-sensitive, democratically governed policy and infrastructure, to ensure that AI developments align with the core values of equity, participation, and the public good.