Meta says its Llama AI models have been downloaded 1.2B times

Tech Crunch - Apr 29th, 2025
Open on Tech Crunch

Meta's Llama AI model family has reached a significant milestone, achieving 1.2 billion downloads, as announced at the inaugural LlamaCon developer conference. This marks a substantial increase from 650 million downloads in December 2024. Meta’s Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, highlighted the community's active involvement, noting thousands of developers contributing to derivative models. Additionally, Meta's AI assistant, powered by Llama models, now has around a billion users, showcasing the rapid expansion of Meta’s AI ecosystem.

Despite the impressive growth, Meta faces stiff competition in the AI landscape. Alibaba has recently launched Qwen 3, a new family of AI models that is competitive across various benchmarks. This development underscores the intensifying rivalry among tech giants in the AI field, with each company striving to establish dominance. The burgeoning adoption of AI technologies by Meta and its competitors highlights the ongoing innovation and the critical role AI plays in shaping the future of tech industries.

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.2
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article effectively highlights Meta's advancements in the AI sector, particularly the growth of its Llama model and the competitive landscape with Alibaba's Qwen 3. It provides timely and relevant information that is of public interest, engaging readers interested in technology and industry developments. However, the story's accuracy is somewhat undermined by the lack of independent verification and additional sources to corroborate the claims. The article would benefit from a more balanced perspective, including insights from competitors and industry analysts. Overall, the article is clear and readable, but it could enhance its impact by addressing the broader implications and potential controversies surrounding AI advancements.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The story claims that Meta's AI model, Llama, has reached 1.2 billion downloads, up from 1 billion in mid-March 2025 and 650 million in December 2024. This progression suggests rapid growth, but verification from Meta or independent sources would solidify these figures. Additionally, the claim about thousands of developers contributing derivative models needs further substantiation through developer community data or Meta's official reports. The assertion that Meta AI has around a billion users also requires confirmation to ensure accuracy. Lastly, the mention of Alibaba's Qwen 3 as a competitive model in the AI space should be cross-referenced with AI benchmark results to validate its competitiveness.

6
Balance

The article primarily focuses on Meta's achievements and advancements in AI, specifically highlighting the growth of the Llama model and the user base of Meta AI. While it mentions competition from Alibaba's Qwen 3, the coverage lacks depth in exploring other competitors in the AI space, such as OpenAI or Google. This creates a slight imbalance, as the narrative leans heavily towards Meta's successes without equally addressing the broader competitive landscape. Including perspectives from industry analysts or competitors would provide a more balanced view.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and concise, with a straightforward structure that makes it easy to follow. The language is neutral and informative, presenting the facts without unnecessary jargon. However, the lack of detailed explanations for some claims, such as the criteria for AI model competitiveness, slightly affects comprehension. Overall, the article maintains a logical flow and effectively communicates the main points.

5
Source quality

The article cites statements from Meta's Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, which lends some credibility to the claims. However, the lack of external sources or independent verification weakens the overall reliability. The story would benefit from additional sources, such as industry reports, analyst opinions, or data from AI benchmarking organizations, to corroborate the claims about download figures and competitive positioning.

5
Transparency

The article does not provide detailed methodology or context for how the download figures and user numbers were obtained. There is also no disclosure of potential conflicts of interest, such as Meta's role in providing the data. Greater transparency in explaining the basis of these claims and any potential biases would enhance the article's credibility. Providing context on the criteria for AI model competitiveness would also clarify the claims about Alibaba's Qwen 3.

Sources

  1. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/29/heres-how-to-watch-llamacon-metas-first-ai-developer-event/
  2. https://www.engadget.com/ai/llamacon-2025-live-updates-from-metas-first-generative-ai-developer-conference-keynote-215241436.html
  3. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/29/meta-needs-to-win-over-ai-developers-at-its-first-llamacon/
  4. https://www.meta.com/blog/connect-2025-llamacon-save-the-date/
  5. https://www.engadget.com/ai/how-to-watch-llamacon-2025-metas-first-generative-ai-developer-conference-215241289.html