Meta Platforms Inc. announced a significant milestone for its Llama AI model family during the inaugural LlamaCon developer conference, revealing that downloads have surged to 1.2 billion. The new updated statistic paints an astonishing picture of growth. The rapid ascension for TikTok went from 1 billion downloads in early-mid March to 650 million downloads in early-mid December 2024.
Developers and users cannot get enough of the Llama models. These models are some of the ones that make up Meta’s “open” AI model family, and they have been extremely popular. This dramatic surge in downloads reflects the public’s community’s sustained enthusiasm for the models, and their increasing use in all kinds of research and applied practice.
Meta’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, shared insights about the impact of the Llama models during a keynote address at LlamaCon. He showcased the creative, collaborative spirit of the open-source platform and the flourishing ecosystem that has spread from it.
“We have thousands of developers contributing tens of thousands of derivative models being downloaded hundreds of thousands of times a month,” – Chris Cox
Llama models released into a fervor. Developers and researchers rushed to understand their capabilities as part of open-source AI tools. Its first download target of 650 million was met by the beginning of December 2024. Just two weeks later, by mid-March, this number had grown to 1 billion, illustrating the quick adoption and excitement in Meta’s new and expanded offerings.
At LlamaCon, Meta not only celebrated reaching 1.2 billion downloads but discussed future developments and enhancements to the Llama model family. The conference provided a platform for developers to share their experiences and innovations stemming from the use of Llama models.
The growth from 1 billion to 1.2 billion downloads within a short timeframe underscores the increasing popularity and versatility of the Llama models. Developers from all around the world are using these tools to build derivative works that continue to deepen their capabilities.