Meta allows use of Llama AI to US national security agencies and defence contractors

Meta announced on Monday (Nov 6) that it would allow the US national security agencies and defence contractors to use its artificial intelligence (AI) model, Llama.

Meta's announcement came after Reuters reported that an old version of the AI model had been used to develop defence applications for the Chinese government's military wing.

With the announcement, it seems that Mark Zuckerberg's organisation had changed its typical policy of prohibiting the use of Llama for “military, warfare, nuclear industries or applications, [and] espionage”.

However, according to Bloomberg, the company made it clear that it is making an exception for the US agencies and contractors, along with similar national security agencies in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

“These kinds of responsible and ethical uses of open source AI models like Llama will not only support the prosperity and security of the United States, they will also help establish US open-source standards in the global race for AI leadership,” Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, wrote in a blog post.

Meta is opening up Llama to government contractors such as Amazon Web Services, Anduril, Booz Allen, Databricks, Deloitte, IBM, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Oracle, Palantir, Scale AI, and Snowflake.

Meta emphasised the need to develop more advanced AI than China. And this is a key point that many US Congress members raise when discussing whether and how to regulate AI.

Clegg further wrote in the blog, “In a world where national security is inextricably linked with economic output, innovation and job growth, widespread adoption of American open-source AI models serves both economic and security interests.”

“Other nations, including China and other competitors of the United States, understand this as well, and are racing to develop their open-source models, investing heavily to leap ahead of the US,” headded.

According to a report by Reuters, two Chinese researchers associated with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were able to access and use an older version of Llama to develop a chatbot that helped to gather and process military intelligence.

(With inputs from agencies)