TII
The Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research center and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), today launched a second iteration of its renowned large language model (LLM) – Falcon 2. Within this series, it has unveiled two groundbreaking versions: Falcon 2 11B, a more efficient and accessible LLM trained on 5.5 trillion tokens with 11 billion parameters, and Falcon 2 11B VLM, distinguished by its vision-to-language model (VLM) capabilities, which enable seamless conversion of visual inputs into textual outputs. While both models are multilingual, notably, Falcon 2 11B VLM stands out as TII's first multimodal model – and the only one currently in the top tier market that has this image-to-text conversion capability, marking a significant advancement in AI innovation.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513516248/en/
Falcon Image Caption Generator (Photo: AETOSWire)
Tested against several prominent AI models in its class among pre-trained models, Falcon 2 11B surpasses the performance of Meta’s newly launched Llama 3 with 8 billion parameters (8B), and performs on par with Google’s Gemma 7B at first place (Falcon 2 11B: 64.28 vs Gemma 7B: 64.29), as independently verified by Hugging Face, a US-based platform hosting an objective evaluation tool and global leaderboard for open LLMs. More importantly, Falcon 2 11B and 11B VLM are both open-source, empowering developers worldwide with unrestricted access. In the near future, there are plans to broaden the Falcon 2 next-generation models, introducing a range of sizes. These models will be further enhanced with advanced machine learning capabilities like 'Mixture of Experts' (MoE), aimed at pushing their performance to even more sophisticated levels.
All of TII’s AI models released to date have consistently ranked in the top tier globally, as the most powerful open-source LLMs. The new scaled-down and versatile Falcon 2 11B models are set to give TII greater market adoption in the ever-evolving world of generative AI.
Falcon 2 11B models, equipped with multilingual capabilities, seamlessly tackle tasks in English, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and various other languages, enriching their versatility and magnifying their effectiveness across diverse scenarios. Falcon 2 11B VLM, a vision-to-language model, has the capability to identify and interpret images and visuals from the environment, providing a wide range of applications across industries such as healthcare, finance, e-commerce, education, and legal sectors. These applications range from document management, digital archiving, and context indexing to supporting individuals with visual impairments. Furthermore, these models can run efficiently on just one graphics processing unit (GPU), making them highly scalable, and easy to deploy and integrate into lighter infrastructures like laptops and other devices.
H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC and Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs Advisor to the UAE President, said: "With the release of Falcon 2 11B, we've introduced the first model in the Falcon 2 series. While Falcon 2 11B has demonstrated outstanding performance, we reaffirm our commitment to the open-source movement with it, and to the Falcon Foundation. With other multimodal models soon coming to the market in various sizes, our aim is to ensure that developers and entities that value their privacy have access to one of the best AI models to enable their AI journey."
Speaking on the model, Dr. Hakim Hacid, Executive Director and Acting Chief Researcher of the AI Cross-Center Unit at TII, said: “AI is continually evolving, and developers are recognizing the myriad benefits of smaller, more efficient models. In addition to reducing computing power requirements and meeting sustainability criteria, these models offer enhanced flexibility, seamlessly integrating into edge AI infrastructure, the next emerging megatrend. Furthermore, the vision-to-language capabilities of Falcon 2 open new horizons for accessibility in AI, empowering users with transformative image to text interactions.”
The versatility of Falcon 2 11B has also led TII to consider working on more exciting GenAI innovations. Among these will be the adoption of a new type of machine learning capability known as the aforementioned ‘Mixture of Experts’. This method involves amalgamating smaller networks with distinct specializations, ensuring that the most knowledgeable domains collaborate to deliver highly sophisticated and customized responses – almost like having a team of smart helpers who each know something different and work together to predict or make decisions when needed. This approach not only improves accuracy, but it also accelerates decision-making, paving the way for more intelligent and efficient AI systems.
Falcon 2 11B is licenced under TII Falcon License 2.0, the permissive Apache 2.0-based software license which includes an acceptable use policy that promotes the responsible use of AI. More information on the new model can be found at FalconLLM.TII.ae.
Source: AETOSWire
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513516248/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
The Coca-Cola Company Names New Leader for Europe Operating Unit18.7.2025 21:00:00 CEST | Press release
The Coca-Cola Company today announced that Luisa Ortega will become president of the Europe operating unit effective Sept. 1, succeeding Nikos Koumettis, who will retire in 2026 after a 25-year career with the company. Koumettis will remain with the company through Feb. 28, 2026, as a senior advisor. He will also serve on the board of directors of Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd., a company-owned bottler in India. Ortega joined Coca-Cola in 2019 and currently serves as president of the Africa operating unit. In this role, she leads a complex business that operates across 54 markets. Koumettis has led the Europe operating unit since it was created in 2021. “Luisa has done an outstanding job leading our African business, where our system has continued to make major investments to serve growing markets on the continent,” said Henrique Braun, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of The Coca-Cola Company. “As head of Europe, she will bring great international experien
NFL Running Back Derrick Henry Joins Amazfit as Athlete Ambassador18.7.2025 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Henry to utilize Amazfit products to optimize health, recovery and performance as he enters his 10th NFL season Amazfit, a leading global smart wearables brand owned by Zepp Health (NYSE: ZEPP), announced Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry as the newest elite athlete to join its growing roster of ambassadors. Known for his rare combination of speed and strength, Henry will utilize Amazfit wearables to power every phase of his training, recovery and sleep as he prepares for his 10th NFL season. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250718322498/en/ Derrick Henry is the newest elite athlete to join Amazfit's growing roster of ambassadors. As one of the most prolific running backs of his generation, Henry has amassed an impressive array of accolades during his career, including NFL Offensive Player of the Year, two rushing titles, and five Pro Bowl selections. With Amazfit as his official smart wearable partne
Qualcomm Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend18.7.2025 15:00:00 CEST | Press release
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.89 per common share, payable on September 25, 2025, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 4, 2025. About Qualcomm Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Building on our 40 years of technology leadership in creating era-defining breakthroughs, we deliver a broad portfolio of solutions built with our leading-edge AI, high-performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity. Our Snapdragon® platforms power extraordinary consumer experiences, and our Qualcomm Dragonwing™ products empower businesses and industries to scale to new heights. Together with our ecosystem partners, we enable next-generation digital transformation to enrich lives, improve businesses, and advance societies. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensin
MultiBank Group Confirms $MBG Token Listings on MEXC and Gate.io on TGE Day in Addition to MultiBank.io and Uniswap18.7.2025 14:34:00 CEST | Press release
MultiBank Group, the world’s largest & most regulated financial derivatives institution, is proud to announce that its highly anticipated $MBG Token will be listed on two new major global cryptocurrency exchanges — MEXC and Gate.io — on the day of its official Token Generation Event (TGE), July 22, 2025, in addition to MultiBank.io and Uniswap. The $MBG Token will go live on: MultiBank.ioGate.ioMEXCUniswap This new dual listing will allow millions of users across both exchanges to seamlessly access and trade $MBG using their existing accounts, ensuring immediate market participation at launch. The Token Generation Event (TGE) is now approaching following the successful completion of two pre-sale rounds, where MultiBank Group issued 7 million tokens in Round 1 and 3 million tokens in Round 2 — both of which sold out within minutes. Naser Taher, Chairman and Founder of MultiBank Group said “With $MBG, we’re introducing a utility token built to deliver real-world value, transparency, and
SLB Announces Second-Quarter 2025 Results18.7.2025 12:50:00 CEST | Press release
Revenue of $8.55 billion increased 1% sequentially and decreased 6% year on year GAAP EPS of $0.74 increased 28% sequentially and decreased 4% year on year EPS, excluding charges and credits, of $0.74 increased 3% sequentially and decreased 13% year on year Net income attributable to SLB of $1.01 billion increased 27% sequentially and decreased 9% year on year Adjusted EBITDA of $2.05 billion increased 2% sequentially and decreased 10% year on year Cash flow from operations was $1.14 billion and free cash flow was $622 million Board approved quarterly cash dividend of $0.285 per share SLB (NYSE: SLB) today announced results for the second-quarter 2025. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250716727689/en/ The exterior of the SLB headquarters in Houston, Texas. Second-Quarter Results(Stated in millions, except per share amounts)Three Months EndedChangeJun. 30, 2025Mar. 31, 2025Jun. 30, 2024SequentialYear-on-yearReve
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom