Written by Martyn Warwick
- The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published a report on AI foundation models
- Quite quick off the mark for a government agency, but then the need for action is pressing
- Foundation models are AI systems that act as a blueprint that companies can adapt to specific uses
- They can be “fine-tuned” to provide fully-customised commercial versions of AI
- Not clear what will happen if some organisations fail to adhere to the new guidelines
All the fluster and bluster surrounding AI in general – and generative AI (GenAI) in particular – has had an aperient effect on the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and spurred a bureaucratic organisation into taking some quick action.
The British government agency has now completed an initial review of AI foundation models (FMs) and has just published its proposed principle to guide competitive AI markets and protect consumers based on concepts of responsible development and the use of such foundation models.
FMs are AI systems based on a wide range of known and identified capabilities that can be tweaked and adapted to various specific purposes. FM’s have been under development for some time now and, with ChatGPT and its ilk quickly appreciating their properties and capabilities, are now recognised as valuable adaptable blueprints to promote technological innovation and, via that, economic growth.
