Meta’s large language model family first released in February 2023 was called Llama.
Meta introduced the model as LLaMA, short for Large Language Model Meta AI. The initial release included several models with different parameter sizes and was aimed primarily at research use rather than direct consumer chat.
Llama became especially influential because Meta made model weights available under a license that allowed broad research and commercial use subject to its terms. Developers used it as a foundation for many customized artificial-intelligence systems.
Llama is distinct from Meta AI, the company’s consumer-facing assistant. Llama names the underlying model family, while Meta AI refers to products and services built using models from that family and other technology.