Companies Unite to Create AI Tools for Enterprises

17 April, 2024

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The Linux Foundation has announced the launch of the Open Platform for Enterprise AI (OPEA), a project aimed at fostering the development of open, modular generative AI systems.

The project is led by the Linux Foundation’s LF AI and Data organization, which focuses on platform initiatives related to artificial intelligence and data.

LF AI and Data executive director Ibrahim Hadadt states in a press release that OPEA is expected to pave the way for the release of “fortified,” “scalable” generative AI systems that “leverage the best open source innovations from across the ecosystem.”

Other project members include Intel, IBM-owned Red Hat, Hugging Face, Domino Data Lab, MariaDB and VMware.

When asked what these companies can build together, Haddad hinted at several possibilities, such as “optimized” support for AI toolchains and compilers that allow AI workloads to run on different hardware components, as well as “heterogeneous” pipelines for generating augmented data (RAG). RAG is gaining popularity in enterprise applications of generative AI.

RAG models reference this external information – which can be in the form of proprietary company data, a public database, or some combination of the two – before generating a response or performing a task.

OPEA members say they are very interested in creating a toolkit for enterprise generative AI.

Although each of the companies has a different focus – Cloudera focuses on the cloud AI ecosystem, Domino offers generative AI applications for businesses, and VMware handles the infrastructure for AI – all have shown interest in AI development and have launched products and partnerships in this area.

However, the question of truly working together on developing compatible AI tools within OPEA remains open. Although companies may have different interests and strategies, collaboration is possible, especially if they have a common point that rests on the development of AI technologies.