Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, is planning to monetize its artificial intelligence (AI) language model, Llama 2, by partnering with cloud computing giants such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google. During a recent earnings call, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that if these companies resell the services powered by Llama 2, Meta should receive a portion of the revenue generated.
This announcement marks a shift in tone from Meta’s earlier statement that it would provide the technology for free. On July 18, Meta announced its collaboration with Microsoft and Amazon, offering Llama 2 for commercial use on their cloud offerings without any charges. The objective behind this move was to encourage improvements through wider developer participation and the availability of the technology for free.
While Zuckerberg maintains that Llama 2 remains open-source, Meta has now included a condition for major cloud companies. They will no longer have access to the technology for free but will have to enter into a business arrangement with Meta instead. Large language models like Llama 2, also known as LLMs, play a crucial role in text-based chatbots and have a broader range of applications beyond answering queries. These models are trained using vast amounts of data to refine response generation.
The decision to monetize Llama 2 reflects Meta’s intention to capitalize on its AI advancements in the long term. Although the immediate revenue impact may be minimal, Meta is positioning itself to benefit from future reselling opportunities with cloud computing giants. By entering into business arrangements with these companies, Meta ensures a share of the revenue generated from the services powered by Llama 2.
This strategic move highlights Meta’s desire to strike a balance between offering the technology for free to foster community-driven improvements while also seeking financial gain. The monetization plan enables Meta to leverage its AI language model’s value, emphasizing the importance of business arrangements with major players in the cloud computing industry.
Overall, the decision to monetize Llama 2 by establishing business arrangements with cloud computing giants signifies Meta’s long-term vision of profiting from its advanced AI technology. While keeping the model open, Meta aims to secure a portion of the revenue generated by major companies when they resell services powered by Llama 2. This approach allows Meta to align its business interests with the growing demand for AI language models in the market.
