IBM Research recently announced it’s open sourcing its Granite code foundation models. IBM’s aim is to democratize access to advanced AI tools, potentially transforming how code is written, maintained, and evolved across industries.

Which Granite Code Models Are Used by IBM?

Granite was born out of IBM’s grand plan to make coding easier. IBM used its extensive research resources to produce a suite of AI-driven tools to help developers navigate the complicated coding environment because it recognized the complexity and rapid innovation inherent in software development.

Its 3 billion to 34 billion parameter Granite code models, which are optimized for code creation, bug fixes, and code explanation, are the result of this endeavor and are meant to improve workflow productivity in software development.

Routine and complex coding activities are automated by the Granite models, which increase efficiency. Developers are able to concentrate on more strategic and creative parts of software design while also expediting the development process. This results in better software quality and a quicker time to market for businesses.

There is also an infinite amount of room for inventiveness. New tools and applications are expected to emerge, some of which may redefine software development norms and practices, given that the community has the ability to alter and expand upon the Granite models.

In addition to 500 million lines of code written in more than 50 programming languages, code snippets, challenges, and descriptions make up the extensive CodeNet dataset that the models are trained on. Because of their substantial training, the models are better able to comprehend and produce code.

Analyst’s Take

The Granite models are designed to increase efficiency by automating complicated and repetitive coding operations. This expedites the development process and frees up developers to concentrate on more strategic and creative areas of software development. Better software quality and a quicker time to market are what this means for businesses.

IBM expands its potential user base and fosters collaborative creation and customization of these models by making these formidable tools accessible on well-known platforms like GitHub, Hugging Face, watsonx.ai, and Red Hat’s RHEL AI.

Furthermore, there is an infinite amount of room for invention. Now that the Granite models are open to community modification and development, new tools and applications are sure to follow, some of which may completely reshape software development norms and practices.

This action has significant ramifications. First off, it greatly reduces the entrance barrier for software developers wishing to use cutting edge AI techniques. Now that independent developers and startups have access to the same potent resources as established businesses, the playing field is leveled and a more dynamic and creative development community is encouraged.

IBM’s strategy not only makes sophisticated coding tools more widely available, but it also creates a welcoming atmosphere for developers with different skill levels and resource capacities.

In terms of competition, IBM is positioned as a pioneer in the AI-powered coding arena, taking direct aim at other IT behemoths that are venturing into related fields but might not have made a commitment to open-source models just yet. IBM’s presence in developers’ daily tools is ensured by making the Granite models available on well-known platforms like GitHub and Hugging Face, which raises IBM’s profile and influence among the software development community.

With the Granite models now available for public use, IBM may have a significant impact on developer productivity and enterprise efficiency, establishing a new standard for AI integration in software development tools.

For artificial intelligence (AI) safety testing, the United Kingdom has unveiled what it refers to as a groundbreaking toolbox.

The novel product, named “Inspect,” was unveiled on Friday, May 10, by the nation’s AI Safety Institute. It is a software library that enables testers, including international governments, startups, academics, and AI developers, to evaluate particular AI models’ capabilities and then assign a score based on their findings.

As per the news release from the institute, Inspect is the first AI safety testing platform that is supervised by a government-backed organization and made available for public usage.

As part of the ongoing efforts by the United Kingdom to lead the field in AI safety, Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for science, innovation, and technology, announced that the AI Safety Institute’s testing platform, named Inspect, is now open sourced.

This solidifies the United Kingdom’s leadership position in this field and places British inventiveness at the center of the worldwide push to make AI safe.

Less than a month has passed since the US and UK governments agreed to cooperate on testing the most cutting-edge AI models as part of a joint effort to build safe AI.

“AI continues to develop rapidly, and both governments recognize the need to act now to ensure a shared approach to AI safety which can keep pace with the technology’s emerging risks,” the U.S. Department of Commerce said at the time.

The two governments also decided to “tap into a collective pool of expertise by exploring personnel exchanges” between their organizations and to establish alliances with other countries to promote AI safety globally. They also intended to conduct at least one joint test on a publicly accessible model.

The partnership follows commitments made at the AI Safety Summit in November of last year, where world leaders explored the need for global cooperation in combating the potential risks associated with AI technology.

“This new partnership will mean a lot more responsibility being put on companies to ensure their products are safe, trustworthy and ethical,” AI ethics evangelist Andrew Pery of global intelligent automation company ABBYY told PYMNTS soon after the collaboration was announced.

In order to obtain a competitive edge, creators of disruptive technologies often release their products with a “ship first, fix later” mindset. For instance, despite ChatGPT’s negative effects, OpenAI distributed it for widespread commercial use despite being reasonably open about its possible risks.

The highly renowned Galaxy S21 series, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3, will soon get the much awaited One UI 6.1 update. This version is expected to greatly enhance the user experience, with a plethora of new features and enhancements tailored to meet evolving consumer needs. In addition, One UI 6.1 promises improvements in terms of performance, functionality, and customization choices, all of which contribute to a smooth and user-friendly interface that enables users to get the most out of their experience and maximize their productivity. The One UI 6.1 upgrade is planned for the Galaxy S21 series in addition to the company’s foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3. These three phones will only receive support for the first two of the new Galaxy AI features, in contrast to more recent models from South Korean smartphone manufacturers. Samsung has been rolling out One UI 6.1, which offers up to ten AI-powered features, to Galaxy Z and S series phones over the past few months.

Through the end of 2025, Galaxy AI Functions will be Available for Free

The company said on Friday that users of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be able to use Circle for Search and Chat Assistance. The company’s announcement also states in a footnote that Galaxy AI functions will be accessible “for free until the end of 2025”; this is the same statement that was posted on the company’s website when the Galaxy S24 series was introduced earlier this year. The Circle to Search function, currently exclusive to Samsung and Google smartphones, will be available to owners of Samsung Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphones with the One UI 6.1 update. Using the navigation pill, users can perform a visual lookup by drawing on, scribbling, or highlighting a section of the screen, all without ever leaving the program they are using.

It’s official: Samsung won’t Update these older Phones with any more Galaxy AI Capabilities

In addition, Chat Assist—an additional AI feature that translates incoming or outgoing messages seamlessly—will be available on all three phones. This feature will help users compose communications in many languages. As per Samsung, this feature is designed to work with other applications as well, so users won’t have to open a translation app in order to communicate another user. Chat Assist, according to the business, can also help users change the tone of their messages. With its statement that it will update the Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung has stated that it will not be introducing its other Galaxy AI features to these older phones. The AI features that won’t be upgraded are: interpreter, live translation, note assistance, transcript assistance, browsing assistance, generative edit, edit suggestion, and AI-generated wallpaper. As it continues to push the boundaries of smartphone technology, Samsung has once again shown with the introduction of the One UI 6.1 update how committed it is to giving customers all around the world state-of-the-art inventions that will revolutionize their mobile experience.