Meta has upped the ante in the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), launching a commercial version of its open-source AI model, Llama 2. Announced yesterday, the move offers a powerful, cost-free alternative to expensive proprietary models peddled by OpenAI and Google, leveling the field for start-ups and businesses alike.
The revolutionary Llama 2 will be distributed via Microsoft’s Azure cloud service, compatible with the Windows operating system. Meta has crowned Microsoft as their ‘preferred partner’ for this release. Moreover, the AI model will also be available through direct download and other providers such as Amazon Web Services and Hugging Face.
Prior to this announcement, Meta had exclusively offered the model to selected academics for research. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, emphasized in a Facebook post the role of open-source technology in driving innovation, stating his belief in the potential for progress when the ecosystem becomes more open.
This move to make Llama 2 accessible could potentially disrupt the early dominance established by OpenAI, a Microsoft-backed player in the AI software market. Even the first version of Llama was on par with models that power OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard chatbot. With Llama 2 trained on 40 per cent more data than its predecessor, the new release could significantly shift the dynamics in the industry.
Mark Zuckerberg further detailed that the new Llama had over one million human annotations to enhance the quality of its output. He asserted that the commercial Llama could bring forth a paradigm shift.
However, alongside the potential benefits, there are associated risks, particularly around safety controls. Meta has acknowledged these concerns and has established an ‘acceptable use’ policy for commercial Llama that strictly prohibits its use in activities related to violence, terrorism, child exploitation, and other criminal acts.
In conclusion, Meta’s commercial release of Llama 2 represents a significant development in the AI industry, further democratizing access to sophisticated AI tools. The move, as reported by malaymail.com, could have far-reaching implications in the AI market and beyond.
