Meta, the technology giant, is reported to be preparing for the launch of its advanced open multimodal model named Llama 3 400B on 23 July, according to a company employee. This follows the successful release of Meta’s 8B and 70B models in April. The Llama 3 400B is set to provide a leap in machine learning capabilities, with its 400 billion parameters that potentially surpasses previous models. However, the full model might not be as open as its predecessors with speculation from AI leak expert, Jimmy Apples, that Meta may not reveal the model’s weights.
However, the release of this model has raised questions about user access. While awaiting eagerly for the launch, people living in the European Union (EU) will not be able to utilize the multimodal version. This is due to Meta’s decision to withdraw from using social media data sourced from EU citizens to train its machine learning modelss following resistance from data regulators and privacy advocates.
As a result, Meta has announced its intention to withhold all upcoming multimodal models from EU users, attributing this decision to a lack of clarity and the unpredictable nature of the EU regulatory landscape. Instead, EU users will be offered a text-only variant of the Llama 3 at an unspecified time, but will not have access to its image and audio features as well as Meta’s devices such as Ray-Ban smart glasses and smartphones.
Meta has clarified that to deliver a high-quality product to EU users, it would require access to these users’ Facebook and Instagram data for training purposes. However, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules currently create an impasse by not allowing such usage, and the pending release of the EU AI Act is expected to impose additional data restrictions. The looming EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), intended to prevent potential monopoly by Big Tech firms in the EU technology market, further complicates the situation leading firms, like Apple, to delay rolling out new AI functionalities in the EU due to compliance concerns.
Consequently, while the EU’s stringent regulations ensure its citizens enjoy greater data privacy protections, these legislations could also potentially limit their access to the latest AI technologies that are accessible in other regions.
In summary, while Meta is set to release its advanced Llama 3 400B model that has stirred industry excitement, it will not be available to European Union users. This decision stems from concerns over EU regulations designed to protect user data but simultaneously limit the advancement and accessibility of new technology models. Meanwhile, the rest of the world looks forward to experiencing what the new offering from Meta will deliver.
