The evolution and innovation of artificial intelligence models is an aspect of society that is moving forward at a rapid pace. Tech giant Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, is among the latest to present a contribution to AI developments with its launch of a next generation open source large language model, Llama 2. With industry partners including Microsoft, AWS, and Nvidia, it could be easy to assume that LLama-2 will be an expensive investment. But is LLama 2 free? Keep reading to find out if the Llama 2 model is free, and some of the reasons behind this.
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Yes, Llama 2 is free to use
Yes, Llama 2 is free for both commercial use and research. Meta has been very clear about its intentions to support LLama 2 as a free-to-use model due to the possible positive impact this will have on the artificial intelligence ecosystem. Not only can open access to Llama allow more developers to scrutinize it for potential issues and fixes, but it opens up a world of opportunities for users to “experiment, innovate in exciting ways, and ultimately benefit from economically and socially”.
It comes in three pre-trained model sizes, seven billion parameters, 13 billion, and finally 70 billion being the most powerful version of the LLM. Expanded access and collaboration of the model promise to advance AI capabilities at a faster pace, and a safer one at that by putting it through public scrutiny. It is an act in the democratization of AI that allows the general public to have a stake in artificial intelligence developments. It could also end up that Llama will knock OpenAI’s ChatGPT off the top spot as the most popular language model.
Where can I access the Llama 2 model?
You can request access to the Llama LLM model on the Meta AI website, after reading the responsible use guide and the acceptable use policy.
It is also available on several platforms including Hugging Face, Amazon Web Services, and the Microsoft Azure AI catalog.
Final thoughts
By making AI models available openly, everyone can benefit from them as opposed to just an elite few. Llama 2 already has the support of other powerhouse technology companies and research institutions, as well as public praise due to being a free generative AI model. It could shape up to be a competitor that takes on OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Anthropic’s Claude 2, which are currently closed models.
