Meta ($META@US) has unintentionally become a major player in the artificial intelligence landscape when Meta granted limited access to its advanced AI language software to researchers in February. Someone posted the code publicly, which led to the development of homegrown tools that could potentially rival those offered by tech giants like Microsoft ($MSFT@US) and Google ($GOOGL@US). Meta has been working on generative AI software for years, aiming to replicate the success of OpenAI and Google in the chatbot space. One of Meta's Large Language Models, Meta AI, was leaked on the online message board 4chan. The leak allowed hobbyists and smaller developers to experiment with AI development. The release of Meta's code has accelerated the development of alternative LLaMA-based tools.