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Meta’s Llama Impact Grants: Empowering Communities through Open-Source AI

SpeakerS:

Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, Co-founder & CEO, Humane Intelligence
Dr. Alpan Raval, Chief AI Scientist, Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence
Dr. Kenneth L. Kehl, MPH, Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Rikin Gandhi, Co-founder & CEO, Digital Green
Sir Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta

With Principal Programming Sponsor

“As we know, large language models and generative AI in general have really shifted the landscape of policy, communication, our interpersonal relationships, and how we live and act within our technological future.” Dr. Rumman Chowdhury
“Through open sourcing, you're really quite dramatically democratizing it because you're just saying, 'Here, you take this and you have complete control over it; none of the data flows back to us.'” Sir Nick Clegg
“Open-source is the way to build for speech recognition; having open-source models that can be fine-tuned to local contexts is a huge way to unlock digitization.” Dr. Alpan Raval
“We've been using videos that have been produced by and for farmers to share improved, sustainable agricultural practices more efficiently.” Rikin Gandhi
“I'm a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute up in Boston, and our project focuses on addressing the problem of patient access to clinical trials.” Dr. Kenneth L. Kehl

Key takeaways:

  • Open-source as a catalyst for innovation and social impact: Open-source AI models like Meta’s Llama empower developers, researchers, and organizations worldwide to address critical global challenges, particularly in education, agriculture, and healthcare.
  • Showcasing the inaugural Llama Impact Grant Winners: The global call for proposals sourced 800+ applications of global use cases of large language learning models for social impact in the fields of education, the environment, and open innovation. This conversation announced the 3x winners. 
  • The 3x winners: All winners used a foundational model (Llama) and built unique use cases to address a specific challenge, representing the potential positive outcomes achievable when AI companies allow for open sourcing use. As of August 2024, grant applications were opened for Phase II.  
    • Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence helps accelerate youth literacy
    • Dana Farber Cancer Institute links patients to cancer trials
    • Digital Green enables farmers to gain access to 
  • Localization and cultural context in AI applications: Tailoring AI models to local languages and cultural contexts is crucial for effectiveness and safety, as well as empowerment.
  • Cost efficiency and accessibility: Open-source AI reduces operational costs, making advanced technologies accessible to resource-constrained governments and NGOs as well as scaling access of AI solutions to millions of users.
  • Collaboration between big tech and developers: The partnership between big tech companies and developers is essential for translating foundational AI models into practical, human-centered solutions. Developers play a key role in creating applications that meet social needs and foster digital transformation, highlighting the importance of open-source initiatives.

Action items:

  • Support and invest in open-source AI initiatives: Governments, NGOs, and the private sector should invest in and support open-source AI projects, versus proprietary or API-based models, to democratize access to technology and drive innovation.
  • Promote localization and cultural adaptation of technologies: Encourage the development of AI solutions tailored to local languages and cultural contexts to enhance relevance and trust among users.
  • Address socioeconomic and gender divides in technology access: Implement policies and programs that ensure equitable access to digital tools and infrastructure, particularly in developing countries and underserved communities.
  • Foster collaboration between big tech and local developers: Facilitate partnerships that leverage the strengths of big tech’s foundational models and the local insights of developers to create impactful solutions.
  • Focus on cost reduction for wider accessibility: Prioritize cost-efficient technologies to make advanced AI solutions accessible to organizations with limited resources, aiding in workforce development and closing social gaps.
  • Apply for the Llama Impact Grant before Nov 23rd, 2024: Organizations applying Llama 3.1 to issues related to social impact are encouraged to apply via theLlama Impact Grants. 

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