Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has leveraged its participation in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 2024 to underscore the crucial role that open-source artificial intelligence (AI) can play in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Strategic Collaborations
During the event, Meta announced four key collaborations that demonstrate the potential of open-source AI to drive social progress:
UNESCO: In partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and Hugging Face, Meta introduced a translation interface based on its “No Language Left Behind” (NLLB) AI model. This tool provides high-quality translations in 200 languages, including minority and marginalized languages.
U.S. Department of State: Meta joined the “Global Inclusivity in AI Partnership,” an initiative that aims to promote secure and reliable AI systems to address global social challenges.
Economist Impact: The company collaborated on a report evaluating the benefits of open-source AI, highlighting its potential to drive innovation and economic growth in emerging markets.
Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab: Meta announced its second Generative AI Community Forum on October 19, which will include participants from India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Boosting Innovative Projects
In addition to these collaborations, Meta announced the winners of the 2023 “Llama Impact Grants” and “Llama Impact Innovation Awards.” These awards aim to support innovative uses of the open-source Llama 2 and Llama 3 AI models in areas such as education, environment, and open innovation.
Highlighted projects include:
Wadhwani AI: Improving English learning in public schools in India.
Digital Green: Agricultural advisory for small farmers.
Dana Farber: Matching cancer patients with clinical trials.
The Potential of Open-Source AI
Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, emphasized, “Open-source AI has the real potential to serve as an equalizer, providing access to the world’s most advanced models on a global scale.” This vision reflects Meta’s commitment to using technology to address some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Meta’s participation in UNGA 2024 underscores the growing importance of AI on the global agenda and the role that technology companies can play in achieving the United Nations’ sustainable development goals.