China has built an AI tool for the military based on Meta's Llama
Chinese researchers linked to the People's Liberation Army have created an AI tool to gather and analyze data to provide reliable information during military operations.
According to a report by Reuters, the tool "ChatBIT" is based on an older version of the publicly available Llama 13B LLM (Large Language Model) by Meta. In an academic paper released in June, the researchers said the tool had been "optimized for dialogue and question-answering tasks in the military field".
This is in direct conflict with Meta's Acceptable Use Policy, which prohibits the use of its model in "Military, warfare, nuclear industries or applications, espionage, use for materials or activities that are subject to the International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) maintained by the United States Department of State".
In a statement shared with Reuters, Molly Montgomery, Meta's director of public policy, said that any use of the company's model "by the People's Liberation Army is unauthorized and contrary to our acceptable use policy".
Another Meta spokesperson said an outdated "version of an American open-source model is irrelevant when we know China is already investing more than a trillion dollars to surpass the US on AI".
