San Francisco: Meta, the owner of Facebook, has taken a bold step by releasing a new and free version of its artificial intelligence (AI) model, challenging the likes of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and Google. While OpenAI and Google have garnered attention with their impressive language models, Meta has focused on developing Llama, an AI model tailored for researchers to refine.
A significant difference between Llama and its counterparts is that Llama is an open-source model. This means that its inner workings are accessible to all and can be modified, in contrast to the closed and proprietary nature of OpenAI and Google’s models. Meta’s decision to make Llama open-source aligns with their belief that open-source software drives innovation and improves safety and security through increased scrutiny.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasized the importance of open source in a Facebook post, stating, “Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology. It also improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can scrutinize it to identify and fix potential issues.”
The focus on safety highlights a divergence from OpenAI’s models, which have faced criticism for generating false information and exhibiting unpredictable behavior during chatbot interactions.
The new and enhanced version of Meta’s model, Llama 2, will be available for download by any business or through a partnership with Microsoft’s Azure cloud service. This partnership with Microsoft further highlights the tech giant’s effort to diversify its AI offerings and empower businesses to have more control over their data and software.
Microsoft’s collaboration with OpenAI has been significant, and the company’s stock price soared when it announced a new AI-enhanced version of Microsoft 365, its office platform, priced at $30 per user per month, further solidifying its position in the AI market.
