Meta Platforms is allowing multiple agencies of the United States government and several of its contractors to access its artificial intelligence model Llama for national security applications.
Meta is providing support to a handful of large companies in the defense and government services sectors including Palantir, Databricks, Leidos, IBM, Lockheed Martin, and Accenture Federal Services, among others.
Many of these partners are already reporting positive results from the use of Llama for security applications. Oracle, for example, said that its technicians have been able to identify and repair issues found in critical aircraft much more easily and quickly than before.
Meanwhile, Scale AI fined-tuned Llama for national security missions and managed to enhance the government’s existing applications for operation planning and the identification of adversarial vulnerabilities.
The US Military Has Used Open-Source Software Like Llama in the Past
Llama’s ability to process significant amounts of data and generable actionable insights is already proving to be quite useful for national security purposes. Early adopters have said that the model can improve the government’s efforts in tracking terrorist financing and strengthening its cyber defenses.
The decision to open up Llama for government use is not unprecedented. The US government has used open-source software in the past to improve its military capabilities.
These systems have helped accelerate its defense research initiatives, identify security vulnerabilities, and improve the communication between software that operates under different architectures.
The partnership reflects a desire to maintain the country’s lead in the military field as other nations and superpowers are working tirelessly to gain an edge over the US, particularly in the defense technology space.
Meta Platforms (META) said that they believe in the power of open-source software. The decision to open up Llama to the military also aligns with the principles established by the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy.
China Used Llama to Create AI-Powered Military Software Without Authorization
China recently announced that it will invest $1.4 trillion in its tech sector to help it compete with its main rival, the US.
This massive financial support to the sector aims to create a new wave of solutions that can propel various important industries. However, analysts are worried that AI can be used for more sinister purposes like mass surveillance and military applications that could violate international laws on the subject.
If China’s plans work and it’s able to build out a successful AI industry from scratch, the rest of the country’s economy and especially its tech sector could benefit dramatically. The chairman of the China International Capital Corporation or CICC, an investment vehicle for the country, noted that Chinese blossoming AI industry could bolster China’s tech sector as a whole with $10 trillion Yuan ($1.4 trillion) in investments in 6 years.
Also read: Top 10 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Companies in the World by Market Cap
Chinese researchers reportedly used an earlier version of Llama to develop an AI-powered tool called ChatBIT that was designed for military intelligence and operational decision-making.
Meta did not authorize the use of its software for this purpose, and the incident raised concerns about how to monitor the use of powerful open-source software like Llama and prevent its exploitation for ill-gotten purposes.
Meta has acknowledged these challenges but argues that the benefits of open-source software outweigh the risks. The company believes that a global open-source standard for AI models will emerge, similar to Linux and Android, and that it is crucial for this standard to be developed under American leadership rather than by competing nations.
Meta Aims to Bring AI to Public Services with Llama Partnerships
Beyond military applications, Meta’s initiative is offering benefits to other corners of the public sector. Government agencies and organizations can leverage Llama-based solutions to improve the delivery of public services across various domains.
For example, Deloitte is implementing Llama-based solutions to help US government agencies and nonprofits better serve their communities in areas such as education, energy, small business development, and skilled trades.
Meta has made clear that it is committed to incentivizing the responsible development of AI technologies through partnerships with UNESCO on the No Language Left Behind (NLLB) model, which supports translations for 200 languages including those that are spoken by relatively small groups.
Also read: 10 Digital Transformation Trends for 2024
The company has also collaborated with the US State Department to address societal challenges – possibly related to immigration procedures.
They have emphasized that the responsible deployment of AI technology must be aligned with international law and fundamental principles. This approach aims to achieve the primary goal of allowing the United States to maintain its technological advantage over other competing nations while ensuring global access to AI innovations that are both responsible and ethical.
Meta’s decision represents a significant evolution in the relationship between Silicon Valley and the military and its connected industrial sectors. As an American company, Meta acknowledges its role in supporting national security while promoting democratic values.
This initiative marks a new chapter in the development of artificial intelligence, one that could shape the future of both military technology and public sector services while raising important questions about the balance between innovation, security, and ethical considerations in the age of AI.