Does OpenAI have a sustainable business model? ChatGPT usage is down (from its initial astronomical numbers), but – more importantly – by the numbers, the power users are engineers. When it comes to coding, GPT-4 makes good engineers great and it makes bad engineers better.
Last week, Meta launched Code Llama: an open source, AI model specifically fine-tuned for coding tasks. This is interesting as the bulk of GPT-4’s commercial power users now have a free alternative. Code Llama comes in various sizes (7B, 13B, and 34B parameters) and can be configured to run in a wide range of computational environments. It can generate code in multiple languages – including Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, and Bash – and it’s available for both research and commercial use.
Beyond code generation, Code Llama can explain code in natural language, serving as a tool for software developers. Additionally, it can be embedded in business applications to auto-generate and execute code snippets based on natural language prompts.
In terms of performance, Meta’s research positions Code Llama ahead of GPT-3.5 on multiple code benchmarks. Independent tests by Snowflake and AI startup Phind further validate its capabilities, with some results nearing GPT-4 performance in specific tasks.
Is Code Llama a threat to OpenAI? Just remember: “free” is very pro consumer!
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.