Meta Unveils AI Accelerator Program To Support Open Source AI in Asia Pacific
In a boost to the region’s innovation ecosystem, Meta has announced the launch of an AI Accelerator program for Asia Pacific startups. This new long-term program will empower innovative companies and developers to seamlessly integrate Llama, Meta’s open source AI model, into their products. By providing access to the latest open source models and resources in AI, Meta is supporting these organizations to create pioneering solutions to help shape the next wave of innovation.
Meta APAC AI Accelerator Finals
The launch was held at Meta’s APAC headquarters in Singapore, in conjunction with the Meta APAC AI Accelerator Finals. It was witnessed by Mrs Josephine Teo, Singapore’s Minister for Digital Development and Information, alongside Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta.
Singapore-Focused Incubator Program
During the event, Clegg announced plans to launch a Singapore-focused incubator program which will support 100 enterprises to deepen their understanding of GenAI and Llama. It will help connect 20 participants with technical and business experts who will mentor them as they develop, refine, and launch Llama-powered solutions for their businesses. The initiative, supported by Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), is aligned with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0 (NAIS 2.0) to promote the development and adoption of AI by businesses and startups.
Collaboration with DISG
Executive Director, DISG, Philbert Gomez, said, “Meta’s AI Incubator program is a strong example of how Singapore continues to support businesses in embracing cutting-edge technologies like generative AI. By empowering local enterprises with both technical expertise and mentorship, this initiative fosters innovation and helps businesses unlock new opportunities through AI. We are proud to collaborate with Meta in this program, which aligns closely with our National AI Strategy 2.0 to deepen AI capabilities and ensure that Singapore remains a key hub for AI development in the region.”
Fireside Chat
At the event, Minister Teo and Clegg had a fireside chat, where they discussed responsible approaches for AI development and deployment, including for GenAI, as well as how Singapore encouraged AI innovation. Minister Teo also shared her thoughts on how Singapore’s collaborations, with leading industry players like Meta and the open-source community, can contribute to realizing Singapore’s vision of AI for the Public Good and is aligned with Singapore’s refreshed Smart Nation vision.
Encouraging AI Innovation
Nick Clegg said, “It’s been incredible to see examples of the work that startups are doing with our Llama models to address major societal challenges within the Asia Pacific region. Open-sourcing AI helps ensure more people can access the opportunities that AI provides, and this is evident in the strong submissions that we have received. I’m very encouraged to see the vibrant developer community in APAC and how governments are welcoming AI innovation and the benefits it will bring to the region.”
Regional Finals Winner
Traversaal.ai from Pakistan, the winner of the regional finals, has received a $100,000 USD grant for their innovative use of Llama to create a state-of-the-art Urdu Llama model aimed to connect 250 million Urdu speakers around the world. The first and second runners-up from Indonesia and New Zealand also received grants of $15,000 USD and $10,000 USD respectively to further develop their proposals.
“We are beyond thrilled to be representing Pakistan at this level. It’s a great honor to be here in Singapore, the hub of technology, and we are extremely grateful to Meta for enabling us to convert our dreams into reality,” said Hamza Farooq, the founder of Traversaal.ai.
Supporting AI Innovation Globally
Meta has been supporting AI innovation globally through various initiatives, partnering with governments, AI associations, innovation incubators, and others. The company gave out Llama Impact Innovation Awards to startups around the world for using Llama 2 or 3 as a core element of their work to take on challenges for social good. AiSee by the National University of Singapore received the award for developing an affordable wearable assistive device to help visually impaired people “see” with the help of AI.
Learn More
Learn about the winners of Meta’s Llama Impact Grants and Innovation Awards at https://ai.meta.com/blog/llama-impact-grant-innovation-award-winners-2024/
