Have you ever felt like a company is trying to pull the wool over your eyes? That’s exactly what I think OpenAI did with their recent release of GPT-OSS, a model that’s barely usable. But here’s the thing: I believe they did it on purpose. By releasing a subpar model, they knew they would generate backlash from the community. But then, they cleverly released GPT-5 immediately afterward, diverting all attention away from their low-effort model. It’s a classic corporate move, if you ask me. They get to defend themselves against criticism that they’re not committed to the open-source space, without having to face the consequences of releasing a mediocre model.
This tactic is often referred to as ‘open washing.’ It’s when a company uses open-source as a marketing tool, without actually being committed to the principles of open-source. In this case, OpenAI gets to look like they’re contributing to the open-source community, while actually just promoting their own interests.
What do you think? Have you ever fallen victim to open washing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.