Meta's AI Open-Source Claims Draw Criticism, OSI Pushes For Transparency

Meta Platforms Inc. META received criticism from the Open Source Initiative (OSI) for using the term “open-source” to describe its AI models.

The criticism focuses on the company’s Llama family of large language models, with OSI head Stefano Maffulli accusing Meta of misleading users and “polluting” the concept of open-source technology.

Maffulli’s comments in an interview with the Financial Times highlight concerns about Meta’s claims when the European Commission and other bodies push for accurate open-source technology beyond any company’s control.

Also Read: Alibaba And Tencent Lap Up Meta’s AI Large Language Model

According to Maffulli, this confusion could undermine long-term efforts to create user-controlled AI systems rather than be dominated by a few tech giants.

Meta has positioned Llama as a significant player in the AI space, claiming the model has been downloaded more than 400 million times. It’s part of a broader wave of AI models challenging the proprietary systems of companies like Microsoft Corp MSFT backed OpenAI and Alphabet Inc GOOGL GOOG Google.

However, Maffulli points out that Llama, like many other “open-source” models, does not provide the full transparency or flexibility that traditional open-source software allows.

While Meta allows developers to access the model’s weights, it restricts complete experimentation by keeping the development process and algorithms secret.

At SIGGRAPH 2024, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg emphasized his frustration with closed-source AI platforms, criticizing them for stifling innovation.

He strongly preferred open-source models, arguing they allow for more creative freedom and development. Zuckerberg’s stance aligns with his push for Meta’s Llama 3.1, the company’s largest open-source AI model.

He also pointed out the irony of companies like OpenAI, which, despite their name, lead the development of closed-source AI models.

Nvidia Corp NVDA recently introduced an open-source AI model. The new NVLM 1.0 family of large multimodal language models enhances text capabilities, vision, and language tasks.

Additionally, Nvidia unveiled Unreal Engine 5 on-device plugins for its Ace platform, enabling AI-powered MetaHuman characters and new tools for developers to create AI-driven facial animations on Autodesk Maya.

Price Action: META stock is up 0.63% at $580.40 premarket at last check Thursday.

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