Meta (formerly Facebook) has announced the release of a commercial version of its open-source artificial intelligence (AI) model, Llama. The new model, named Llama 2, will be made available through Microsoft’s Azure cloud service and will run on the Windows operating system. Meta has chosen Microsoft as its preferred partner for the release.
Previously, Meta had only provided Llama to select academics for research purposes. However, with the commercial release, Llama will be accessible via direct download and through Amazon Web Services, Hugging Face, and other providers, aiming to offer startups and businesses a free alternative to expensive proprietary AI models offered by companies like OpenAI and Google.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, highlighted the significance of open-source technology in driving innovation by enabling more developers to build with new technology. The release of Llama to the wider community threatens the early dominance of proprietary generative AI software offered by players like OpenAI, which is backed by Microsoft.
Llama 2 is designed to compete with models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard
Llama 2 is designed to compete with models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot. It has been trained on 40 percent more data than its predecessor, with over 1 million human annotations to improve the quality of its outputs.
By offering a sophisticated open-source AI model like Llama to businesses for free, Meta aims to disrupt the market share of closed-source models. The availability of open-source models allows for cost-effective implementation and reduces dependency on proprietary solutions.
This announcement aligns with the strategies of other major cloud providers, such as Google and Amazon, which are also offering a range of AI models to business customers.
While the release of Llama brings advantages, such as crowd-sourced advancements and bug fixes, it also carries risks, including the potential for unscrupulous actors to misuse the technology. Meta has implemented an “acceptable use” policy for commercial Llama to prohibit certain use cases, such as violence, terrorism, child exploitation, and other criminal activities.
Overall, Meta believes that public releases of technologies contribute to safety by leveraging collective wisdom to identify and address potential issues, while also enabling the company to benefit from industry-standard tools and infrastructure.
