TL;DR:
- Meta, Hugging Face, and Scaleway collaborate to launch an AI startup program at Station F in Paris.
- The program aims to promote an “open and collaborative” approach to AI development.
- It comes amid debates on AI regulation and the tension between “open” and “closed” AI.
- Meta’s Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, supports more openness in AI development.
- Hugging Face represents the open-source alternative to OpenAI in the AI space.
- Startups can apply for the AI Startup Program until December 1, 2023.
- Winning startups will work on projects based on open foundation models.
- Meta’s choice to partner with Scaleway, an independent European player, is noteworthy.
- The collaboration offers mentoring, access to Hugging Face’s platforms, and compute resources.
Main AI News:
In a strategic move aimed at fostering open-source AI model adoption, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has joined forces with Hugging Face and European cloud infrastructure firm Scaleway to launch a cutting-edge AI startup program situated at the renowned Station F startup megacampus in Paris. This initiative is driven by the overarching objective of cultivating an “open and collaborative” approach to AI development within the French technology landscape.
The timing of this announcement holds significance, occurring amidst a growing discourse surrounding AI regulation and the conspicuous tension between the “open” and “closed” AI domains. Prominent tech behemoths like Microsoft, Google, and the developer behind ChatGPT, OpenAI, are advocating for increased regulation while simultaneously advancing potent AI technologies. Some of these arguments pivot on the potential risks associated with open-source AI and how it might be susceptible to manipulation by malicious actors. On the opposing front, there exists a notion that these tech giants are using fear tactics to sway regulators towards endorsing a more “closed” AI development ethos, thereby safeguarding themselves from competitive threats.
Meta staunchly aligns with the latter viewpoint. Recently, the company’s Chief AI Scientist, Yann LeCun, joined over 70 other signatories in advocating for greater openness in AI development, cautioning against hasty regulatory measures. The letter emphasized, “Open models can inform an open debate and improve policymaking. If our objectives are safety, security, and accountability, then openness and transparency are essential ingredients to get us there.”
In this context, Meta’s collaboration with Hugging Face, a major player in the open-source AI realm, is a logical step. While Meta has initiated the open-sourcing of its generative AI models, Hugging Face, a billion-dollar VC-backed startup, has positioned itself as an open-source alternative to OpenAI, championing community initiatives like BigScience.
The alliance between Meta and Hugging Face marks a significant development in the ongoing “open” versus “closed” AI discourse. Clément Delangue, CEO of Hugging Face, expressed his perspective, stating, “For me, open source AI is the most important topic of the decade as it is the cornerstone toward democratizing ethical AI.”
Under this partnership, startups can apply for the “AI Startup Program” at Station F from today until December 1, 2023, with five selected winners proceeding to the accelerator program scheduled to run from January to June. These chosen startups, determined by a panel comprising Meta, Hugging Face, and French cloud company Scaleway, will share a common thread – their commitment to projects substantially rooted in open foundation models or a willingness to integrate these models into their products and services.
The announcement emphasizes, “With the proliferation of foundation models and generative artificial intelligence models, the aim is to bring the economic and technological benefits of open, state-of-the-art models to the French ecosystem.”
Notably, Meta has opted to collaborate with Scaleway, an independent European player, instead of major cloud infrastructure giants and critics of open-source AI like Microsoft and Google. The winning startups will receive mentorship from Meta’s researchers and engineers, access Hugging Face’s extensive array of platforms and tools, and leverage compute resources offered by Scaleway.
While Meta remains committed to its ambitious metaverse pursuits, significant shifts have occurred in the past year. About a year ago, Meta partnered with L’Oréal and HEC, a prominent French business school, to inaugurate a startup accelerator at Station F focusing on VR/AR/MR technologies. However, with the mounting excitement surrounding ChatGPT and generative AI, Meta has recalibrated its focus towards more immediate objectives, a strategic pivot embodied by this new accelerator program.
Conclusion:
Meta’s collaboration with Hugging Face and Scaleway to promote open-source AI development signifies a strategic move in response to the ongoing debate on AI regulation. By supporting startups committed to open foundation models, Meta aims to foster a more collaborative and innovative AI ecosystem. This partnership may influence the market by encouraging a shift towards greater openness and transparency in AI development practices, ultimately benefiting the broader technology landscape.
