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Meta and Microsoft are revolutionizing the AI landscape through a groundbreaking alliance. Their collaborative focus, Llama 2, aims to democratize AI and challenge established models, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

Llama 2 is the successor of Meta’s first open-source AI model, Llama, which became a valuable tool for academic research. The new model has been trained on 40% more data and leverages over a million human annotations to boost output quality. In a strategic move, Microsoft will distribute Llama 2 through its Azure cloud service, optimized for the Windows operating system.

To stay competitive, Microsoft is diversifying its AI offerings. In addition to Llama 2, they will provide business customers with an array of AI models, including Anthropic’s Claude. This partnership represents not only a business alliance but a shared vision to make AI technology accessible. Llama 2 will be available through direct downloads and platforms like Amazon Web Services, fostering an inclusive AI ecosystem for developers, businesses, and academia. Llama 2 is available for free for research and commercial use.Download model here.

Understanding the risks of AI democratization, Meta has invested heavily in safety measures. Llama 2 underwent rigorous testing, and a responsible use guide was developed to prevent misuse, showing a commitment to align ethical standards with innovation.

The partnership extends to shared research, promoting PyTorch adoption on Azure, and endorsing the Partnership on AI’s framework. The collaboration also signifies a shift towards on-device AI deployment, in association with Qualcomm Technologies. This shift will enable deployment of AI models like Llama 2 on everyday devices, enhancing privacy, reliability, and user experiences.

Moreover, Meta launched initiatives like the Open Innovation AI Research Community and the Llama Impact Challenge to galvanize global forces to address pressing issues using Llama 2.

In essence, this collaboration signifies a pivotal evolution in the AI world. With Llama 2’s release, Meta and Microsoft are supercharging developers and businesses worldwide, embodying Mark Zuckerberg’s belief that “Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology.” The advent of Llama 2 may well signal a dramatic shift in the AI industry.