Dear Reader,

Remember when Meta was solely concerned with Facebook? And Microsoft only dealt with software products?

As the AI landscape continues to shift and evolve, the biggest tech companies are following suit…

And today's news brings significant developments that underscore the global reach and impact of this new technology.

So what are the two huge things that happened this week?

First, Meta has unveiled Llama 3, its next-generation open-source LLM, boasting 8B and 70B parameter versions that outpace open-model competitors across various benchmarks.

These models were trained on a dataset 7 times larger than Llama 2, with 15T tokens and 4 times more code.

And Meta is not stopping here…

An even larger 400B+ parameter version, set to rival GPT-4, is anticipated for release in the coming months.

Llama 3 is integrated across platforms through the Meta AI assistant, accessible on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and the new meta.ai website.

Second, in a move that underscores its commitment to advancing AI solutions globally, Microsoft has announced a $1.5 billion investment in the United Arab Emirates-based AI firm, G42.

This investment not only gives Microsoft a minority stake in G42 but also a seat on the board, symbolizing the depth of their collaboration.

Under this partnership, G42 will leverage Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Azure, to deliver advanced AI solutions to global public sector clients and large enterprises.

The collaboration aims to bring advanced AI and digital infrastructure to countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa, marking a significant step in expanding AI capabilities and adoption in these regions.

Microsoft and G42 will jointly establish a $1 billion fund aimed at boosting AI skills among developers in the UAE and the broader region.

Why This Matters

This strategic investment and partnership between Microsoft and G42 come at a crucial time, as the US seeks to counteract Beijing’s technological advances.

The collaboration not only strengthens Microsoft's foothold in the global AI market but also accelerates the development and adoption of AI solutions in the Middle East and beyond.

With impressive benchmarks and a behemoth model waiting to be released, Meta’s broad integrations just freely delivered a top-tier AI model to over 3 billion people across its products.

Furthermore, the commitment to responsible and secure AI practices sets a precedent for how AI should be developed and deployed on a global scale, prioritizing safety, trust, and ethical considerations.

The Takeaway

As AI continues to permeate various sectors and regions, strategic alliances like this one between Microsoft and G42, coupled with Meta's groundbreaking advancements in open-source AI with Llama 3, will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI technology.

We'll continue to keep you updated on the latest developments and insights from the world of AI, helping you navigate this exciting and complex landscape.

Stay tuned for more updates and analyses as the AI revolution unfolds.

Yours truly,

Mark Savant & The AI Media Team

PS- I just released a video on Voice Cloning, which I think you’ll absolutely love. Please check it out below.

Voice Cloning

You get a call on the phone.

It’s from an unknown number, but when you pick up… It’s your mom!

She’s in trouble. She’s outside the US and lost her wallet!

If you send her $2000 she can get back on track and pay you when she returns.

There’s only one problem…

It wasn’t your mom. It was AI.

It’s become so easy to replicate your voice, and there are many practical use cases.

I actually recorded an entire podcast episode with my AI voice!

The technology is really cool, and this 10-minute video explains how to clone your own voice as well as some different use cases: