Meta has unveiled the recipients of its 2023 Llama Impact Grants and Llama Impact Innovation Awards, a program launched in October 2023 aimed at promoting innovative uses of Llama 2 and Llama 3 AI models to address critical social issues. With more than 800 submissions from organizations spanning 90 countries, the program focuses on harnessing Llama’s AI capabilities to tackle pressing challenges in education, environmental sustainability, and technology.
Llama Impact Grants
Among the Llama Impact Grants recipients, Digital Green has emerged as one of the key winners, securing a $500,000 USD grant. In collaboration with One Acre Fund, Digital Green will develop a groundbreaking AI project, Farmer Chat, aimed at supporting small-scale farmers in underserved areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The project will create a multilingual AI chatbot using Llama, which will be fine-tuned with vast agricultural data to deliver tailored, practical advice to farmers. The chatbot will be available in multiple languages, including Hindi, Swahili, and Kikuyu, making it accessible to a wide array of regions.
The runner-up in the Llama Impact Grants category, Jacaranda Health, will receive $300,000 USD to expand its digital health tool, PROMPTS. This AI-powered SMS system provides behavioral nudges and a clinical helpdesk to support new and expecting mothers across Kenya, Ghana, and Eswatini. Jacaranda Health aims to establish PROMPTS as the leading resource for personalized maternal and newborn healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project will use Llama models to enhance healthcare delivery, ensuring women and newborns receive timely care and information.
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Llama Impact Innovation Awards
Alongside the grants, Meta also announced the recipients of the Llama Impact Innovation Awards, providing winners up to $35,000 USD in funding, as well as mentorship, partnership opportunities, and advertising credits. These awards support smaller but equally innovative projects that leverage Llama’s capabilities to address specific challenges.
HelpMum is one of the standout recipients of the Llama Impact Innovation Award. The organization has developed a chatbot service, Vax-Llamamodel, that delivers reliable vaccination and immunization information. By utilizing Llama 3’s advanced natural language processing, the Vax-Llamamodel provides accurate and timely vaccination details, which can be adopted by healthcare organizations globally, improving public health outcomes, especially in underserved regions.
Another awardee, the Tanzania AI Community, is tackling educational challenges with its chatbot, Twiga. Twiga provides teachers with a virtual assistant that helps generate exams, lesson notes, and course materials aligned with Tanzania’s curriculum, all via WhatsApp. Llama 3 is used in this project to create high-quality educational content, addressing resource shortages and reducing teachers’ workloads.
Finally, Flow Informatics won recognition for its project phosoAI, which seeks to combat food insecurity in Malawi. PhosoAI is a WhatsApp-based chatbot that provides real-time information on food prices, availability, and agricultural practices in both rural and urban areas. The chatbot, using Llama 3 and supporting voice commands, is designed to increase accessibility for users in low-literacy regions, allowing them to make informed decisions about their food supply.
Meta’s Commitment to Open-Source AI
Meta is strongly committed to the development of open-source AI, believing that wider access to advanced technology will spur meaningful progress across the globe. With initiatives like the Llama Impact Grants and Innovation Awards, Meta continues to champion the use of AI for social good.
Applications for the Llama 3.1 Impact Grants are currently open and will be accepted until November 22, 2024. This ongoing initiative underscores Meta’s dedication to supporting impactful projects that use AI to address global challenges.
