Meta leads open-source AI boom, Llama downloads surge 10x year-over-year.

Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is at the forefront of an open-source AI boom, with a significant surge in downloads of its Llama models. According to recent data, the downloads for Llama models are approaching 350 million on Hugging Face, marking a tenfold increase year-over-year. This rapid growth underscores the increasing popularity and adoption of open-source AI solutions.

The development and distribution of Llama models are part of Meta’s broader strategy to advance artificial intelligence (AI) and make it more accessible to a wider audience. Meta’s commitment to open-sourcing its AI research aligns with its long-term vision of building general intelligence and making it widely available for everyone to benefit from.

Zuckerberg’s announcement comes as part of a larger initiative to integrate AI across various domains, including the metaverse. The company is also investing heavily in infrastructure, such as massive compute resources, including 350,000 Nvidia H100s by the end of this year, to support the development and training of advanced AI models like Llama 3.

The surge in Llama downloads and Meta’s aggressive push into open-source AI are likely to drive further debate around the merits of open-source versus closed-source AI development. This trend is particularly notable given recent discussions around the risks and benefits of open-source AI models, as highlighted by recent papers suggesting potential security concerns within open models.

Overall, Meta’s leadership in the open-source AI space reflects the company’s ambitious goals for AI development and its commitment to making these advancements accessible to a global audience.

source:https://venturebeat.com/ai/meta-leads-open-source-ai-boom-llama-downloads-surge-10x-year-over-year/