The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), has launched the Falcon Foundation. The non-profit Falcon Foundation is dedicated to advancing the development of open-source Generative AI models and to building sustainable ecosystems around open-source projects that accelerate technology development. As a founding member, TII is committing to provide more than AED1 billion (US$300 million) to fund these projects.
The launch of the Falcon Foundation took place at the World Government Summit (WGS) 2024 and marks a critical juncture in convening stakeholder collaboration to establish transparent governance models and encourage knowledge exchange as AI continues to chart a relentless growth path.
Commencing with TII’s powerful homegrown Falcon AI models, the foundation will convene stakeholders, developers, academia, and industry, as well as individuals, and will help realise the power of cooperative decision-making among the contributors. It will accelerate the democratisation of AI with the help of notable Falcon Foundation Ambassadors – eminent AI professors in universities around the world, as well as key industry players in the field of AI.
The foundation is to support the customisation of the Falcon models to address specific industries or sectors. By enabling open computing resources for the continued research and development of Falcon AI, the foundation will provide a robust ecosystem to ensure the adaptability of the models across a broad spectrum of applications and contexts.
His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: “In a world where AI continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, initiatives like the Falcon Foundation play a crucial role in steering the trajectory of AI development towards greater transparency and accessibility.”
Dr Ray O. Johnson, CEO of TII, said: "We're committed to fostering transparency and collaboration in AI. Extending the UAE's collaborative spirit into AI development, we set new standards for openness and we encourage all other entities who support open source from around the world to join us."
The foundation’s beneficiaries will encompass all entities that work with and champion open-source responsible AI. In minimising dependence on external vendors, the Falcon Foundation ensures business continuity through enabling independent technological choices. As an organisation open to all and every stakeholder committed to open source, the foundation will leverage global best practices as part of its regulatory and legal framework for artificial intelligence.
The Falcon Foundation's commitment to open-sourcing and innovation in AI reflects a forward-thinking approach that helps Abu Dhabi and the UAE accelerate into a technology-driven future and supports the global community in harvesting cross-industry collaborations for seminal AI advancements.
