Llama
Meta's family of open-source large language models. Llama 2 and 3 offer strong performance that can be self-hosted without API costs.
In-Depth Explanation
Llama (Large Language Model Meta AI) is Meta's family of open-weight language models that have democratised access to powerful AI. Unlike closed models (GPT, Claude), Llama can be downloaded, modified, and self-hosted.
Llama evolution:
- Llama 1 (2023): Initial release, research-only license
- Llama 2 (2023): Commercial-friendly license, 7B-70B parameters
- Llama 3 (2024): Significant quality improvements, 8B-70B+ parameters
Key advantages of Llama:
- No API costs: Run unlimited queries on your hardware
- Data privacy: Keep all data in-house
- Customisation: Fine-tune for specific use cases
- Transparency: Understand what's in the model
- Community: Large ecosystem of tools and fine-tunes
Llama models are particularly popular for:
- Organisations with strict data privacy requirements
- High-volume applications where API costs add up
- Research and experimentation
- Custom fine-tuning projects
- Edge deployment scenarios
Business Context
Llama models enable on-premise AI deployment for data-sensitive applications, eliminating ongoing API costs for high-volume use.
How Clever Ops Uses This
We help Australian businesses evaluate self-hosting options with Llama. For high-volume or privacy-sensitive use cases, Llama can provide significant cost savings and control.
Example Use Case
"Running Llama 3 on your own servers for unlimited AI queries without API fees, keeping all data within your infrastructure."