Alibaba Adopts Meta’s Llama2 AI Model for Free AI Development

Alibaba will be the first Chinese company to use Meta’s Llama open-source artificial intelligence (AI) model to develop programs at no cost.

According to an initial Reuters report that cited an official statement from Alibaba Cloud via WeChat, the cloud computing arm of the Chinese conglomerate has deployed a Llama 2-based solution that enables businesses to develop AI-based software and tools.

“Today, Alibaba Cloud has launched the first training and deployment solution for the entire Llama2 series in China, welcoming all developers to create customised large models on Alibaba Cloud.”

Meta’s Llama2 model was introduced as a free-to-use service in July 2023, competing with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Bard. Meta plans to make Llama2 free for organizations with fewer than 700 million monthly active users.

Meta’s announcement emphasized that Microsoft remained its preferred development partner for its generative AI tool, while Llama 2 would be made freely available for research and commercial use.

Meta also noted that it was adopting an open strategy to provide global businesses with greater access to foundational AI technology.

This includes supporting companies around the world that are developing products on Llama 2 and cloud providers that include the model in their offerings, as well as exploring “safe and responsible deployment of large generative models” through research.

Alibaba Cloud will join Amazon Web Services (AWS) and a handful of other prominent cloud computing services in leveraging Llama 2’s extensive language paradigm.

The development follows the United States’ decision in June 2023 to restrict the sale of certain AI processing hardware chipsets to maintain a competitive advantage in the swiftly developing field of AI tools.

The Reuters report also suggests that the incorporation of Meta’s new AI model may provide an opportunity for the nation to reaffirm its ties with China.

Since 2009, China has prohibited Meta’s Facebook, along with Twitter, YouTube, and other Western social media and content platforms.