The latest news and updates from the tech world

In this edition of our newsletter, we're exploring the unveiling of Meta's LLaMA 2 AI model, investigating the use of open-source alternatives to ChatGPT for Scala documentation, discussing strategies to quickly scale a legacy monolith here, and providing insights on the EU's groundbreaking AI Act here. Enjoy these rich and exciting developments in tech and AI!

Facebook parent Meta unveils LLaMA 2 open-source AI model for commercial use

Key Insights

• Meta has unveiled LLaMA 2, an advanced AI model, now open-source and free for commercial use.
• Microsoft backs LLaMA 2, which will be available on Microsoft Azure, signaling a significant shift in the AI landscape.
• LLaMA 2 comes as an upgrade to the previous version, featuring various model sizes, trained on a larger dataset and boasting improved performance.
• The model went through safety measures involving a cycle of reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) to enhance safety and responsibility.
• The LLaMA 2 launch addresses the previous controversy around LLaMA 1's leaked model weights, potentially disrupting the landscape of large language models.

Large Language Models: How to use open source alternatives to ChatGPT for Scala documentation ?

Why it is worth reading: It provides an overview of Large Language Models, with a focus on their application in assisting programmers with Scala3-related questions. It compares different models like GPT-4, flan-alpaca, and BERT, showcasing their strengths and limitations. The article also offers practical tips for maximizing the value of these models and emphasizes the evolving landscape of open-source alternatives, making it a valuable resource for programmers seeking quick and accurate assistance in their coding endeavors.

How to quickly scale a legacy monolith?

Why it is worth reading: it provides practical insights and strategies for dealing with the challenges of working with a legacy monolith. It offers solutions to improve system efficiency, especially during high traffic periods, without the need for a complete rewrite or immediate microservices migration. The author shares valuable tips and considerations for preparing for this approach, offering a potential way to buy time and gain the trust of stakeholders for further refactoring efforts.

EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence

Key Insights:

• EU proposes AI Act, the world's first AI regulatory framework, classifying AI systems by risk.
• Parliament seeks AI to be safe, transparent, non-discriminatory, and supervised by humans.
• AI systems are categorized into Unacceptable risk, High risk, Generative AI, and Limited risk.
• Member of the European Parliament adopted the AI Act in June 2023, aiming for agreement on the final law by year-end.