Linux Foundation has announced a new open source project that aims to develop a single framework that will facilitate the sharing of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in collaboration with a number of partners including AT&T and Tech Mahindra. The nonprofit organization announced the Acumos Project on Monday, noting that it’s still in its early stage and aims to provide everyone with access to machine learning solutions. The long-term goal of the project, which is slated for a formal unveiling early next year, is to develop a common platform for building AI apps and models that any other developer can easily access and replicate.
Initially, the Acumos Project intends to build apps and services that are user-centric, meaning those AI solutions are not like the usually complex AI tools commonly known today and usually meant for data scientists, according to the Linux Foundation. Under the alliance, AT&T and Tech Mahindra will contribute code to the Linux Foundation, which in turn will host the Acumos platform and the AI marketplace associated with it. AT&T began to manifest its interest in AI late last year when the mobile network carrier confirmed that it was testing the use of AI to make its processes more efficient. Then earlier this year, AT&T started studying the feasibility of using AI solutions for cell tower upkeep. The Linux Foundation seeks to sustain the platform’s ecosystem over the long term, with the code being scheduled for general availability in the days leading up to the formal debut of the Acumos Project next year. Raman Abrol, senior vice president and business unit chief at Tech Mahindra, noted that the project is focused on applying AI and machine learning to real-world problems at organizations of varying sizes.
The Linux Foundation expects other companies and organizations to take part in the open source initiative over the next few weeks as the governance model for the project is being formulated, with Jim Zemlin, Executive Director at the Linux Foundation, noting that the nonprofit organization hopes to draw interest from entities that have a stake in various technologies including unmanned aerial vehicles, autonomous cars, and analytics, among others.