Meta Platforms has announced the early release of its latest large language model, Llama 3, along with a real-time image generator. This strategic move aims to position Meta as a strong competitor to generative AI leader OpenAI.
Llama 3 will be integrated into Meta's virtual assistant, Meta AI, enhancing its capabilities in reasoning, coding, and creative writing. Meta AI is set to receive more visibility across Meta's apps, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and will also be featured on a new standalone website. Users can interact with the assistant to create vacation packing lists, engage in music trivia, get homework help, and generate images like the New York City skyline.
In its push to capture the generative AI market, Meta has invested heavily in updating its computing infrastructure and consolidating its research and product teams. By releasing Llama models for developer use, Meta offers a powerful free option that could challenge competitors' proprietary technologies, though this approach has raised safety concerns among critics worried about potential misuse.
Llama 3 features enhanced coding capabilities and has been trained with both text and image data, though the current model outputs only text. Future updates will introduce multimodal functionalities, enabling the generation of both text and images. Chris Cox, Meta's Chief Product Officer, emphasized that these advancements are designed to make users' lives easier by assisting with tasks like business interactions, writing, and trip planning.
Additionally, Meta is expanding the availability of its AI assistant to over a dozen markets outside the U.S., including Australia, Canada, Singapore, Nigeria, and Pakistan. The company is also navigating Europe's stringent privacy regulations as it prepares to comply with the upcoming AI Act.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted the competitive edge of Meta AI in a recent video, describing it as \"the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.\" With Llama 3 demonstrating strong performance benchmarks, Meta is set to bridge the gap between free and proprietary AI models, offering enhanced tools for developers and users worldwide.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com