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Meta and IBM launch “AI Alliance” to promote and advance AI development

Wasif Shakir

Wasif Shakir

— 2 min read
Meta and IBM launch “AI Alliance” to promote and advance AI development

In a collaborative endeavor to advance the field of artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and transparently, a formidable coalition of technology leaders, led by IBM and Meta, has unveiled the AI Alliance. Unlike the competitive landscape characterizing the AI industry, this alliance seeks to foster cooperation among its members, underlining a shared commitment to safety, collaboration, diversity, economic opportunity, and universal benefits.

More than 50 organizations including 'Meta', 'IBM', 'Sony', 'University of Tokyo' and 'Keio University' jointly establish AI development promotion community 'AI Alliance' - GIGAZINE

IBM and Meta, in a joint statement, delineated the core objectives of the AI Alliance, underscoring their dedication to driving innovation while upholding responsible AI development practices. Notably, the alliance boasts an impressive collective annual research and development investment exceeding $80 billion, showcasing the substantial resources committed to advancing the AI landscape collaboratively.

While embracing open-source development principles is endorsed by many of its members, adherence to this model is not a mandatory requirement for alliance participation. The AI Alliance boasts a diverse membership, with over 50 tech companies, including AMD, Dell Technologies, Red Hat, Sony Group, Hugging Face, Stability AI, Oracle, and the Linux Foundation, aligning with IBM and Meta's vision.

IBM, Meta form “AI Alliance” with 50 organizations to promote open source AI | Ars Technica
IBM, Meta form “AI Alliance” with 50 organizations to promote AI development, Source: Ars Technica

To effectively govern and guide AI initiatives, the AI Alliance is poised to establish a governing board and a technical oversight committee. These entities will play a pivotal role in advancing AI projects, defining standards, and crafting guidelines. Importantly, the alliance aims to engage with governments, non-profits, and non-government organizations (NGOs) operating in the AI sector, emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration.

In a bid to involve the academic community, the AI Alliance has garnered support from esteemed educational and research institutions, including CERN, NASA, Cleveland Clinic, Cornell University, Dartmouth, Imperial College London, University of California Berkeley, University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame, The University of Tokyo, and Yale University.

Despite Meta's historical advocacy for open-source AI models and responsible development, it is noteworthy that the company recently decentralized and streamlined its AI development by disbanding its responsible AI team in November.

Interestingly, some major players in the AI industry, such as Microsoft, Google, OpenAI (developer of ChatGPT), and Anthropic (Claude AI), have chosen not to join the AI Alliance. Instead, they forged their own path by establishing The Frontier Forum in July, dedicated to championing responsible AI.

Earlier this year, the Biden Administration initiated discussions with leading AI developers to secure commitments to responsible AI development. Notable signatories included OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Anthropic, Meta, and Inflection. Subsequently, in September, additional industry heavyweights such as NVIDIA, IBM, Scale AI, Adobe, Palantir, Salesforce, and Stability AI joined the pledge, signaling a widespread industry commitment to responsible AI practices.

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