Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is said to be preparing to release a free software tool that will assist programmers and developers in generating code automatically. According to sources, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is reportedly developing an open-source software called Code Llama to compete with generative AI models from companies like OpenAI and Google. Based on Meta's language model Llama 2, Code Llama aims to challenge OpenAI's Codex platform and could be launched as early as next week.

Code Llama may divert customers from paid alternatives such as Microsoft's GitHub Copilot by offering a free coding assistant. It is expected to make it easier for companies to develop AI assistants that provide code suggestions to developers in real-time. This move by Meta is part of the ongoing battle among tech companies to establish themselves in generative AI. These companies increasingly recognize the potential of generative AI and seek to integrate it into their services to improve their offerings.

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, gained popularity due to its advanced conversational abilities and triggered a race among companies like Google and Apple to develop their AI systems. Investors have shown significant interest in generative AI startups, investing billions of dollars in recent years. Meta also positions itself as a more open platform by sharing its code and promoting an open-source ecosystem. This approach is believed to drive innovation, improve safety and security, and address biases in AI systems. Last month, Meta, Google, OpenAI, and other major tech companies pledged to ensure the safety of their AI products before releasing them to the public as part of an agreement with the White House.