[OSM-talk] New mailing list about machine learning and OSM

[Felix Delattre]

Hello everybody,

Neural network based deep learning methods for feature extraction using
computer vision are giving concrete results and these are also more and
more getting used in the context of maps and OpenStreetMap.

Until this moment the conversation has been pretty much polemic from
people either hyping or hating these new techniques of programming with
automated statistics. My guess: as OSM we will not be able to completely
reject these new developments, and personally, I'm convinced it will
also not fundamentally change how OSM works.

There are many aspects that we are missing to address in an open,
concise and argumentative way. Questions like: Where is the red line of
applying machine learning? What are beneficial applications of machine
learning for OSM? What ethical implications are having these steps? And
for sure, there are open questions on licensing in the context of
machine learning. Furthermore, I think it is good to have a place to
have technical discussions on how to implement certain tools and talk
about engineering and technical details.

So far, most conversation has happened in private blog posts, and
separated/closed groups. Our communication bubbles are growing, which is
not good for OSM, and I would like to see a less segregated and
constructive conversation to develop together the OSM way of using
machine learning. Therefore I want to invite everybody interested to
join this new mailing list, where we can share opinions, insights,
experiences and concerns.

https://lists.openstreetmap.org/listinfo/machine-learning

Thanks,
Felix