Meta has announced its first developer conference dedicated to generative artificial intelligence (AI). The event, called LlamaCon after Meta’s Llama family of AI models, is set for April 29. According to TechCrunch, the company will present its latest advances in open-source AI to help developers create cutting-edge apps and software.
For several years, Meta has focused on an open approach to AI development, aiming to build an ecosystem of apps and platforms. While the exact number of applications using Llama remains undisclosed, Meta has previously confirmed that organizations such as Goldman Sachs, Nomura Holdings, AT&T, DoorDash, and Accenture have integrated the model. The company states that Llama has been downloaded hundreds of millions of times, with at least 25 partners—including Nvidia, Databricks, Groq, Dell, and Snowflake—hosting and enhancing the model. Some of these partners have developed additional tools, allowing AI models to reference proprietary data or operate with lower latency.
Meta’s Competition and Future Plans
Despite its success, Meta now faces unexpected competition from the Chinese company DeepSeek, which has released an open-source AI model that may rival Llama. Rumors suggest that Meta believes DeepSeek’s latest version could even outperform the upcoming Llama model, expected to launch in the coming weeks. As a result, Meta has reportedly started analyzing DeepSeek’s cost-reduction methods for AI operations, looking to apply similar efficiencies to Llama.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg previously announced that multiple Llama models would be released in the coming months, some featuring reasoning capabilities comparable to OpenAI’s o3-mini and others with built-in multimodality. He also mentioned future AI agents capable of autonomous actions, similar to OpenAI’s approach. “I think this could very well be the year that Llama and open models become the most advanced and widely used AI models,” Zuckerberg said. “We want to make sure that Llama is the leader this year.”
Legal and Regulatory Challenges
While Meta pushes forward with its AI ambitions, legal and regulatory issues pose challenges, adds NIX Solutions. The company faces a lawsuit over alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted book materials to train AI models. Additionally, privacy concerns have led several EU countries to delay or block Meta’s planned AI launches in the region, creating further obstacles for Llama’s global expansion.
More details about LlamaCon, Meta’s first event dedicated entirely to generative AI, will be revealed soon. Meanwhile, the annual Meta Connect developer conference remains scheduled for September. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.