Meta Platforms Inc (META  ) announced it will make its open-source Llama artificial intelligence models available to U.S. government agencies working on national security and defense applications, marking a significant expansion of the technology's authorized use cases.

The social media giant is partnering with major government contractors and technology firms including Amazon.com Inc.'s (AMZN  ) Amazon Web Services, Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT  ), Microsoft Corp (MSFT  ), Oracle Corp (ORCL  ), and Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR  ) to implement these AI models across various defense initiatives.

"As an American company, and one that owes its success in no small part to the entrepreneurial spirit and democratic values the United States upholds, Meta wants to play its part to support the safety, security and economic prosperity of America - and of its closest allies too," said Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta.

Several contractors have already begun implementing Llama in their operations:

  • Oracle is using the technology to improve aircraft maintenance by helping technicians diagnose problems more quickly
  • Scale AI is fine-tuning the model for national security missions and identifying potential vulnerabilities
  • Lockheed Martin has integrated Llama into its AI Factory for code generation and data analysis
  • Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure are hosting the models on secure cloud platforms for sensitive government data
Why It Matters: Meta emphasized that making Llama available for defense applications aligns with U.S. interests in the global AI race, particularly as nations like China invest heavily in developing their own open-source models.

The company noted that large language models can support various aspects of national security, including streamlining logistics, tracking terrorist financing, and strengthening cyber defenses.

Beyond military applications, Meta highlighted broader public sector benefits, with Deloitte implementing Llama-based solutions for government agencies and nonprofits to improve public service delivery in areas such as education and energy.