In a significant move, Meta has teamed up with Hugging Face and European cloud infrastructure company Scaleway to launch a new AI-focused startup program at the Station F startup megacampus in Paris. The underlying goal of this program is to promote a more ‘open and collaborative’ approach to AI development across the French technology world.
A Growing Push for Regulation
The timing of this announcement is notable, coming amid a growing push for regulation and a marked conflict between the ‘open’ and ‘closed’ AI realms. Many of the major tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and ChatGPT-developer OpenAI, are arguing for more regulation and warning of the existential threat posed by AI. However, some argue that these tech companies are merely scaremongering to force regulators into supporting a more ‘closed’ AI development ethos, ultimately protecting themselves from competition.
Meta’s Stance on Regulation
Meta is very much in the latter camp. Last week, the company’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun joined more than 70 other signatories in calling for more openness in AI development, warning against too much regulatory haste. The letter noted that "History shows us that quickly rushing towards the wrong kind of regulation can lead to concentrations of power in ways that hurt competition and innovation." It also emphasized that open models can inform an open debate and improve policy making.
The Importance of Open Source AI
Meta itself has been open sourcing its own generative AI models, while Hugging Face is a billion-dollar VC-backed startup that has set out its stall as a sort of open source alternative to OpenAI. The two companies have teamed up to launch the new AI-focused startup program, which will bring together startups working on projects substantively built on open foundation models.
The New AI Startup Program
From today through December 1 (2023), startups can apply to join the new ‘AI Startup Program’ at Station F. The five winners will proceed to the accelerator program that will run from January to June. The chosen startups will have access to mentoring from researchers and engineers at Meta, gain access to Hugging Face’s various platforms and tools, and compute resources from Scaleway.
A Notable Partnership
It’s somewhat notable that Meta has chosen to sidestep the major cloud infrastructure companies — and open source AI naysayers — such as Microsoft and Google. Instead, they have opted to partner with a smaller, independent European player in the form of Scaleway.
A Shift in Focus for Meta
The launch of this new program marks a significant shift in focus for Meta, which has been investing heavily in its own AI research and development. The company’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, has emphasized the importance of open source AI and the need for more collaboration between researchers and developers.
A Growing Trend
The launch of this new program is part of a growing trend towards more open and collaborative approaches to AI development. Other companies, such as Google and Microsoft, are also investing in open source AI initiatives and partnering with startups to accelerate innovation in the field.
Conclusion
The launch of the new AI-focused startup program at Station F marks an important milestone in the development of AI in Europe. The partnership between Meta, Hugging Face, and Scaleway is a significant step towards promoting more open and collaborative approaches to AI development. As the field continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how this trend towards openness and collaboration develops.
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