Effectiveness of the subfloor layer in mitigating power asymmetry

Ascertain the extent to which a subfloor layer can mitigate the inherent power asymmetry created by centralized foundation model development and governance.

Background

Foundation model development is highly centralized, concentrating power within a small number of institutions. The authors propose a subfloor layer—owned or governed by domain-focused collectives—to counterbalance this asymmetry.

They explicitly note uncertainty about whether and how effectively such a subfloor could alleviate these power imbalances, especially if a subfloor’s remit becomes too broad and recentralizes authority.