Overview

Meta AI—the research arm of Meta Platforms—created the Llama family of open‑weight large language models, first launched in February 2023. Today the lineup ranges from lightweight 7 B models to the 405 B‑parameter Llama 3.1, with the natively multimodal Llama 4 Scout and Maverick unveiled in April 2025, stretching context windows to 256 K tokens and rivaling proprietary front‑runners on reasoning benchmarks. An open, source‑available license has catalyzed a 10× surge in cloud usage through 2024, making Llama the most widely deployed open LLM for edge and enterprise workloads alike.

Why Meta on Azure

Run open weights under your own subscription, integrate with Azure GPU fleets, and fine‑tune with proprietary data while staying inside your compliance boundary.