Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, has developed an artificial intelligence system called LLaMA 2 that can rival the likes of ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. However, Meta is taking a different approach by releasing its technology for free. In collaboration with Microsoft, Meta plans to introduce the next generation of its AI large language model and make it available for research and commercial use.
Similar to tech giants Google and Microsoft, Facebook has a dedicated team of computer scientists focused on advancing AI technology. However, the company has been overshadowed by the release of ChatGPT, which has prompted a rush to profit from generative AI tools that can create new prose, images, and other media.
Meta has been keen to differentiate itself from its competitors by being more open about sharing the data and code it uses to build AI systems. The company believes that this openness facilitates external researchers in identifying and mitigating any bias or toxicity that AI systems may acquire from real people’s communication and writing styles.
In a Facebook post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that open sourcing drives innovation by allowing more developers to build with new technology. He also explained that an open ecosystem improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can review and address potential issues. Zuckerberg committed to open-source LLaMA 2, citing Meta’s history of sharing its AI work, including the widely used machine-learning framework, PyTorch.
Meta’s new AI models can be directly downloaded by users or accessed through a partnership with Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure, along with Microsoft’s safety and content tools. Although Microsoft is the preferred partner, Meta has also made the models available through Amazon Web Services, AI startup Hugging Face, and other platforms. The financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
It is worth noting that Microsoft is a significant funder and partner of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Notably, neither ChatGPT nor similar offerings from Microsoft or Google are open source.
By freely releasing LLaMA 2 and partnering with Microsoft, Meta aims to promote innovation and collaboration within the AI community. The move also aligns with Meta’s commitment to openness and transparency in AI development. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, Meta’s decision to share its AI technology for free may have long-lasting implications for the industry’s development and progress.
