Not Zucking Around

Author

AI Joe
July 19, 2023

Good morning and welcome to AI Joe, the newsletter that’s more intense than Gordon Ramsey in Hell’s Kitchen.

This is the final installment of the midweek mini edition where we provide a top story and a prompt for ChatGPT.

If you want more midweek AI content be sure to follow on Twitter and Threads.

Here’s what’s on today’s agenda

  • Meta goes open-source 📖 

  • Learn common phrases in a new language 🗣️ 

Meta’s not Zucking around 🆓 

Meta announces their Llama 2 model will be open source and free for commercial use.

Via Giphy

Why free?

Meta is set on becoming a major player in the AI world. In that world, the number one currency isn’t the US dollar, it’s data. Meta says that by making Llama 2 both open-source and free it will improve more rapidly thanks to wider usage from developers.

We're partnering with Microsoft to introduce Llama 2, the next generation of our open source large language model. Llama 2 will be available for free for research and commercial use.

Meta has a long history of open sourcing our infrastructure and AI work... This has helped us build better products by driving progress across the industry.

Open source drives innovation because it enables many more developers to build with new technology. It also improves safety and security because when software is open, more people can scrutinize it to identify and fix potential issues. I believe it would unlock more progress if the ecosystem were more open, which is why we're open sourcing Llama 2.

Mark Zuckerberg, Founder & CEO, Meta (Facebook)

Microsoft partnership announcement

Along with the announcement of Llama 2, Meta also announced a partnership with Microsoft. At Microsoft’s Inspire event, the firms announced that Llama 2 would be available through Microsoft’s Azure cloud services and Windows.

This signals that Microsoft is hedging its ChatGPT bet. No matter who wins this race, Microsoft wants a piece.

Joe’s Takeaway: This is a massive blow for ChatGPT. Meta has DEEP pockets and making their model free for developers will mean a lot of users. OpenAI had the first mover’s advantage, but Bard (Google) and Llama (Meta) aren’t just going to accept defeat. One thing is for sure, this arms race will continue to increase the progress in AI. Don’t stop paying attention now!

Learn common phrases in a new language for your next vacation! 🌴🏖️ 

Wouldn’t it be great to order your meal in Italian? Ask for a recommendation in Spanish? Ask for directions in French?

Try out this prompt! 👇️ 

Act as a [language] teacher. You are helping me prepare for my upcoming trip to [country]. I want to learn enough of the language to help endear myself to the locals. Teach me 25 words or phrases that will be useful while I’m doing the following activities on vacation:

Checking into a hotel
Ordering food and alcohol
Asking for directions
Asking for recommendations
Thanking people I interact with
[activity 1]
[activity 2]
[activity 3]
etc.

Know a Joe? Forward this email or send them a link to subscribe here

Got feedback? Reply to this email with your thoughts, we love to hear from readers!