Mark Zuckerberg is now endorsing open-source AI tech | The Daily ...
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms and the founder of Facebook, has recently released an open letter titled "Open source AI is the path forward". In it, he publicly endorsed the use of open-source AI tech, indicating how tech companies could flourish if restrictions regarding AI were lifted by competitors.
Here are some key things you might want to know about Zuckerberg's latest stance on open-source AI tech, and what this concept entails.
The history of computer technology and open-source
The history of computer technology has long pitted open-source aficionados against companies clinging to their intellectual property. "Open source" refers to software development where the program code is made freely available to the public, allowing developers to tinker and build on it as they wish. Many of the internet's foundational technologies, such as the Linux operating system and the Apache web server, are products of open-source development.
Challenges of open source
However, open source is not without challenges. Maintaining large projects, ensuring consistent quality, and managing a wide range of contributors can be complex. As such, almost by definition, keeping open-source projects financially sustainable is a challenge.
Zuckerberg's unexpected embrace of open source
Zuckerberg is probably the last person you would expect to embrace open source. Meta maintains total control over its Instagram and Facebook platforms, leaving little to no leeway for outside developers or researchers to tinker around.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which an outside vendor was revealed in 2018 to be using the platform to gather user information for nefarious practices, only made the company more protective. Meta's sudden embrace of the open source ethos is driven by its bitterness towards Apple, whose iPhone rules keep tight control on what Meta and all outside apps can do on their devices.
Meta's open source AI technology
Meta's open source LLaMA 3.1 (for Large Language Model Meta AI) is the company's latest version of its generative AI technology that can spew out human standard content in just seconds. Performance-wise, it can be compared to OpenAI's GPT-4 or Google's Gemini, and like those models is "trained" before deployment by ingesting data from the internet.
The debate over open source AI
In the rivalry over generative AI, defenders of the closed model argue that the Meta way is dangerous, as it allows bad actors to weaponise powerful technology. Meta argues that transparency assures a more level playing field and that a world of closed models will ensure that only a few big companies, and a powerhouse nation like China, will be in control. Startups, universities, and small businesses will "miss out on opportunities," Zuckerberg said.
পর্যাপ্ত সরবরাহ না থাকায় গ্যাসভিত্তিক বিদ্যুৎকেন্দ্রগুলো বিদ্যুৎ উৎপাদন করতে পারছেন না।
