Meta gives US military access to its Llama AI models
What's the story
Meta has announced that it will share its Llama artificial intelligence (AI) models with several US government agencies and contractors working on national security. The company's CEO Mark Zuckerberg had hinted at this move during an earnings call last week. He said that Meta was "working with the public sector to adopt Llama across the US government."
Strategic partnerships
Tech giants and defense contractors to utilize Llama AI
The partnership includes more than a dozen private sector companies that closely collaborate with the US government. These include tech giants such as Amazon Web Services, Oracle, and Microsoft, as well as defense contractors like Palantir and Lockheed Martin. For example, Oracle intends to use Llama to simplify aircraft maintenance documents, enabling technicians to diagnose problems more quickly and speed up repair times.
Data security
Llama AI to secure sensitive data on cloud platforms
Amazon Web Services and Microsoft are also looking to use Llama. Meta said these companies want "to support governments by hosting our models on their secure cloud solutions for sensitive data." This development highlights the increasing significance of AI technology in maintaining data security across different platforms.
Global reach
Meta extends Llama AI access to international governments
Meta is also expanding access to its Llama AI models to governments and contractors in the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Meta's President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg hinted that these partnerships could allow the US to compete with China in the global arms race over artificial intelligence. "We believe it is in both America and the wider democratic world's interest for American open source models to excel and succeed over models from China and elsewhere," he said.