AI Update: Meta's Llama Release, AI In Fiction Writing, and Creating Video With Code Interpreter

Meta's Llama: A Free Ride or a Trojan Horse?

In an unanticipated move, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has declared its artificial intelligence model, Llama 2, will be freely available. This ostensibly generous move gives startups and other businesses a low-cost opportunity to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. But let's cut through the noise and ask the real question: Is this a benevolent offering or a strategic maneuver?

The new version of the Meta large language model (LLM), named Llama 2, will be distributed by Microsoft through its Azure cloud service and will run on the Windows operating system. It's a fascinating development, considering the model was previously only available to select academics for research purposes.

Llama 2 will also be available for commercial use on AWS, Hugging Face, and other platforms.

Zuckerberg, in his classic style of grand-standing, championed the move as a step towards more openness in the AI ecosystem. But we must remember that open-source AI is a divisive issue, with some arguing that AI systems should not be widely available. The potential for misuse is significant, and previous instances of AI models generating unsavory text serve as a stark reminder of this risk.

Meta executives argue that public releases of technologies actually reduce safety risks by harnessing the wisdom of the crowd to identify problems and build resilience into the systems. But let's not be naive. Making a model as sophisticated as Llama widely available and free for businesses to build atop threatens to upend the early dominance established in the nascent market for generative AI software by players like OpenAI and Google.

This move by Meta could be seen as a bid to stymie rivals’ plans to earn revenue off their proprietary technology. If developers can use equally powerful open-source systems for free, the value of proprietary technology could evaporate.

Moreover, Meta's decision to release Llama into the wild comes with its own set of risks. It supercharges the ease with which unscrupulous actors may build products with little regard for safety controls. The company has put in place an “acceptable use” policy for commercial Llama that prohibits “certain use cases”, but the enforcement of such policies is always a challenge.

While Meta's move to make Llama freely available may appear as a boon for startups and businesses, we must be cautious of the potential pitfalls. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Or in this case, a free Llama.

I shared my initial thoughts on Facebook here.

AI in Fiction: Exploring ChatGPT's Role in Worldbuilding

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to automate tasks, it’s no surprise that writers are turning to AI to help them create fictional worlds. In a recent article published on MakeUseOf, Sam Wolfe explores the potential of using ChatGPT, an AI developed by OpenAI, to streamline the process of worldbuilding in fiction writing.

Worldbuilding, the process of creating a new world from scratch, is a critical aspect of fiction writing. It involves creating landscapes, characters, cultures, and histories that immerse readers in the story. However, it can be a time-consuming and exhausting process, which is where ChatGPT comes in.

ChatGPT is a versatile tool that can be used to assist with various elements of worldbuilding, from establishing the premise and setting to constructing the culture of society and developing conflict and politics. The AI can even help fabricate legends and folklore, adding depth and intrigue to the fictional world.

Wolfe provides an example of a world created by ChatGPT, which includes a magical wilderness setting, a history marked by untamed magic and dark forces, and a society that values harmony among the four elements and communal living. The AI also suggests characters such as the elemental mage, the ancient seer, and the shape-shifting druid, and outlines a conflict involving a powerful force that wants to capture untamed magic.

The use of AI in the creative process raises some interesting questions. For one, can an AI truly replicate the creativity and imagination of a human writer? While ChatGPT may be able to generate ideas based on patterns and algorithms, there is an inherent unpredictability and uniqueness to human creativity that may be difficult for an AI to replicate.

Furthermore, the use of AI in worldbuilding also raises ethical considerations. If an AI is used to create a fictional world, who owns the rights to that world? The writer who used the AI, or the developers of the AI? These are questions that will need to be addressed as AI continues to play a larger role in creative fields.

Despite these concerns, the use of AI in worldbuilding offers exciting possibilities for writers. By automating some of the more tedious aspects of worldbuilding, writers can focus more on storytelling and character development. As Wolfe concludes, "Creating a whole new world can be fun, and it doesn’t have to be a long process. Using ChatGPT as a guide can help you come up with ideas that will help make your world-building process even more absolute."

As technology continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how AI is further integrated into the creative process and what new worlds it helps to create.

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