Meta announced Monday it will make its open-source AI application Llama available to the federal government. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
Meta announced Monday it is partnering with the U.S. General Services Administration on an initiative that will give the government access to its Llama open source AI models.
The initiative is part of the GSA’s OneGov program, aimed at modernizing how the federal government purchases goods and services, a press release said.
Meta has worked with the government on Llama in the past, on national security applications and for use in the International Space Station. Llama is a language model capable of processing and converting data including multimedia like video, photo, text and audio, in government operations.
“America is leading on AI, and we want to make sure all Americans see the benefit of AI innovation through better, more efficient public services. With Llama, America’s government agencies can better serve people,” said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, in a statement.
Llama models allow federal agencies the ability to keep full control over data processing and storage.
“Thanks to Meta and its commitment to advancing public sector services, our federal partners now have easier access to Llama and open source AI, which offer unique benefits for federal agencies and government use cases. Through these OneGov initiatives, GSA is driving an unprecedented acceleration of AI adoption across the federal government,” Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum said in a statement.
The government agency has also approved the use of Meta competitors, which include Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. The companies, like Meta, have agreed to sell their products with deep discounts and meet government security requirements.
