Falcon 2 Released: AI Professionals Raise Concerns About Its License

On May 13th, the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) launched Falcon 2, the latest version of its large language model (LLM). There are two versions:

• Falcon 2 11B: Efficient and accessible with 11 billion parameters, trained on 5.5 trillion tokens. It outperforms Meta’s Llama 3 and matches Google’s Gemma 7B.
• Falcon 2 11B VLM: TII's first multimodal model, which can convert images to text.

Key Features:

• Multilingual: Supports multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.
• Open-Source: Available for developers worldwide.
• Versatile: Useful in healthcare, finance, e-commerce, education, and legal sectors for tasks like document management and digital archiving.
• Scalable: Runs efficiently on a single GPU, making it easy to use on laptops and other devices.

License Concerns:

The AI community has raised several issues about the Falcon 2 license. One major concern is the dynamic nature of the Acceptable Use Policy, which can be updated at any time. This means users must constantly monitor the web address for changes, making the terms unpredictable and unreliable for businesses. The ability to change the licensing terms at any moment makes it difficult for companies to depend on consistent terms for their operations.

There is also skepticism about the enforceability of such a dynamic license. Many AI professionals question the legality of expecting compliance with terms that can change without direct notification. This adds a layer of uncertainty and risk. Even if the license is not enforceable, the potential legal costs of defending against claims or disputes are a significant deterrent for businesses, who prefer to avoid licenses that might lead to costly legal battles.

Furthermore, users are concerned about the potential bias of UAE courts in favor of local entities in international disputes. This makes the license riskier for companies based outside the UAE, as they may face unfavorable legal outcomes. The dynamic Acceptable Use Policy contradicts the claim of a "perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license," undermining the stability promised by such a license. These factors combined make the license less appealing for commercial purposes.