The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a global scientific research centre and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), have announced the launch of the non-profit Falcon Foundation at the World Governments Summit.
It was shared that Falcon Foundation will be dedicated to advancing the development of open-source Generative AI models, and will seek to build sustainable ecosystems around open-source projects that accelerate technology development.
As a founding member, TII has committed to provide $300 million to fund these projects.
The Foundation is set to convene stakeholders, developers, academia, and industry, as well as individuals, and accelerate the democratisation of AI with the help of Falcon Foundation Ambassadors – eminent AI professors in universities around the world, as well as key AI industry players.
Further, it was shared that the Foundation will support the customisation of the Falcon models to address specific industries or sectors.
“By enabling open computing resources for the continued research and development of Falcon AI, the Foundation will provide a robust ecosystem to ensure the adaptability of the models across a broad spectrum of applications and contexts,” it said.
His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: “In a world where AI continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, initiatives like the Falcon Foundation play a crucial role in steering the trajectory of AI development towards greater transparency and accessibility.”
Dr Ray O. Johnson, CEO of TII, commented: “We’re committed to fostering transparency and collaboration in AI. Extending the UAE’s collaborative spirit into AI development, we set new standards for openness and we encourage all other entities who support open source from around the world to join us.”
It was also noted that the Foundation will leverage global best practices as part of its regulatory and legal framework for AI.