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More on Democratizing AI: How 16 Leading Enterprises Are Adopting Open-Source Large Language Models
2/10/24
Editorial team at Bits with Brains
Open-source large language models (LLMs) like Llama 70B are emerging as a powerful and cost-effective alternative to closed, proprietary models like ChatGPT.
In a recent article, we introduced Meta’s Code Llama 70B as a significant milestone in the evolution of AI use for coding, bringing unprecedented scale and performance to the open-source AI ecosystem. Code Llama is a Llama 2 variant fine-tuned for coding tasks and underscores the potency of the Llama 2 foundation model .
Although experimentation is widespread, there are still relatively few publicly known examples of companies deploying open-source LLMs in production business applications. Nevertheless, open-source LLMs are gaining popularity among enterprises, with many companies using them to power various applications including code generation, customer support, content creation, and marketing.
The use of LLMs is expected to continue to grow as these models become more sophisticated and accessible. Here are 16 examples of open-source LLM usage sourced from VentureBeat. Note the prevalence of Llama 2.
VMWare: Deployed Hugging Face StarCoder to help developers generate code.
Brave: Uses Mixtral 8x7B from Mistral AI as a conversational assistant.
Gab Wireless: Uses Hugging Face models to screen messages for inappropriate content.
Wells Fargo: Uses Meta's Llama 2 for internal applications.
IBM: Uses its own LLMs and open-source models for various applications, including HR, consulting, and marketing.
The Grammy Awards: Uses IBM's AI Stories service to generate AI-generated insights and content.
Masters Tournament, Wimbledon, and US Open: Use IBM's LLMs to generate spoken voice commentary and find video highlights.
Perplexity: Uses its own custom-built open-source LLMs as a default for summarizing articles.
CyberAgent: Uses Dell software's OpenCALM for Japanese language modeling.
Intuit: Leverages open-source models in its Intuit Assist feature for customer support and task completion.
Walmart: Uses GPT-4 and other LLMs for conversational AI applications.
Shopify: Utilizes Llama 2 in its Sidekick tool to automate tasks for small business owners.
LyRise: Uses a Llama-based chatbot to help businesses find and hire AI and data talent.
Niantic: Uses Llama 2 in its Peridot feature to generate environment-specific reactions for pet characters.
The adoption of open-source LLMs across various sectors underscores their potential to drive significant automation and efficiency gains. While proprietary models have traditionally led in terms of capability, and still do, open-source alternatives are quickly closing the gap. For enterprises, the ability to fine-tune these models on custom data means that, in specific use cases, they can achieve or even surpass the performance of their proprietary counterparts.
The rapid iteration and improvement facilitated by active community support increasingly positions open-source LLMs as viable alternatives to proprietary models. Their affordability, flexibility, and transparency make them particularly appealing for a wide range of enterprise applications. However, it's crucial for businesses to conduct thorough evaluations regarding model quality, security, and compliance to mitigate potential risks.
For C-level decision-makers, the strategic implementation of open-source LLMs offers a pathway to not only enhance operational efficiency but also to foster innovation and maintain a competitive edge.
As AI technology continues to evolve, staying informed and adaptable will be key to leveraging AI for sustainable business growth.
Sources:
[1] https://venturebeat.com/ai/how-enterprises-are-using-open-source-llms-16-examples/
[2] https://www.wired.com/story/metas-open-source-llama-upsets-the-ai-horse-race/
[3] https://about.fb.com/news/2023/07/llama-2/
[4] https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/07/19/business/tech/meta-ai-model-commercial-use/
[5] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/llama-2-metas-open-source-model-shakes-up-ai-industry-1f
Sources