Meta has introduced its own AI tool called Code Llama, designed to generate and debug code, augmenting human programming efforts. The Code Llama tool is built upon a large language model (LLM) and has the capability to use text prompts to both generate and engage in discussions about code.
According to a recent statement from Meta, Code Llama represents the cutting-edge among publicly available LLMs specialized in coding tasks. The tool has the potential to streamline workflows for developers, making them more efficient, and it also aims to lower the entry barriers for coding novices.
“Code Llama is state-of-the-art for publicly available LLMs on coding tasks. It has the potential to make workflows faster and more efficient for developers and lower the barrier to entry for people who are learning to code,” Meta said in a statement.
One of the key applications of Code Llama lies in enhancing productivity and education within the programming community. By helping programmers in producing robust and well-documented software, the tool can significantly improve the quality of code generated.
This iteration of Llama, aptly named Code Llama, boasts advanced coding features. It can generate code snippets and articulate natural language explanations about code, responding to prompts in both programming syntax and human language. Moreover, it proves beneficial for tasks like code completion and debugging, offering comprehensive support to programmers.
This AI tool boasts compatibility with a variety of popular programming languages, including Python, C++, Java, PHP, Typescript (Javascript), C#, Bash, and more.
Meta explained the different versions of Code Llama that they are releasing. These models come in three sizes, 7B, 13B, and 34B parameters, respectively. All three models were trained using an extensive dataset of 500B tokens of code and code-related information.
The three models address different serving and latency requirements.
“Programmers are already using LLMs to assist in a variety of tasks. The goal is to make developer workflows more efficient so that they can focus on the most human-centric aspects of their job, rather than repetitive tasks,” said Meta.
Code Llama is designed to support software engineers in all sectors — including research, industry, open source projects, NGOs and businesses.
