Microsoft Expands AI Collaboration with Meta, Integrating LLama 2 into Azure
Tech giant Microsoft has announced a new partnership with Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to integrate Meta’s AI model, LLama 2, into the Microsoft Azure cloud-computing platform. The announcement was made during Microsoft’s annual Inspire event, where CEO Satya Nadella expressed excitement about the integration of LLama 2 into Azure and Windows. LLama 2 will be available to developers using Microsoft Azure at no additional cost.
In addition to the partnership with Meta, Microsoft also unveiled a subscription model for businesses using its Copilot for Microsoft 365 suite. Copilot is an AI engine designed to enhance productivity and creativity through artificial intelligence. The subscription model will be priced at $30 per person.
The news of the collaboration with Meta had a positive impact on Microsoft’s stock price, which rose by 5% on Tuesday and is currently trading at $362. Meta’s stock price also experienced a slight increase of 0.38% and is currently trading at $311.
Meta has been actively invested in artificial intelligence this year, focusing on projects such as its newly launched text-to-image model, CM3leon, which can generate images based on text prompts. Meta has also trained its AI model on various religious texts, enabling it to identify over 4000 languages.
While some may view the partnership with Meta as a shift away from Microsoft’s collaboration with OpenAI, Nadella reassured the audience that Microsoft remains committed to its partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. He emphasized the importance of the longstanding and influential partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI.
The integration of LLama 2 into Azure highlights Microsoft’s dedication to advancing AI capabilities and providing developers with access to innovative tools and models. By partnering with Meta, Microsoft aims to broaden its offerings and provide users with new opportunities to leverage artificial intelligence.
Overall, the collaboration between Microsoft and Meta signifies a continued focus on the development and integration of AI technologies. Both companies are actively working to push the boundaries of what AI can achieve and provide users with enhanced experiences across various platforms and services.
