The development of generative AI has created stiff competition between major tech companies like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google.
However, smaller open-source chatbots like ColossalChat are also making strides in the field. ColossalChat, which is the first open-source AI chatbot, is based on Meta’s LLaMA model and can perform tasks like answering questions, writing emails, and creating code similar to ChatGPT.
Developer Yang Yoo claims that ColossalChat is “the first practical open-source project that includes a complete RLHF process for replicating ChatGPT-like models.”
While ColossalChat may not be as advanced as ChatGPT, it is still capable of basic tasks. However, its knowledge base only goes up until 2019, and disclaimers before starting the chat warn users that the generated content may be offensive or mistakenly treated as such. For example, one disclaimer reads: “The generated content might be offensive,” while another says, “It might accidentally treat some normal content as offensive.”
To test ColossalChat, a request was made for it to write an email about the leave application. The chatbot’s response was:
“Dear [Name],
I am writing to inform you of my intention to take a leave from work for personal reasons. I have been a dedicated and hardworking employee, and I hope it will be possible for me to return after this period of time. Please let me know if there are any questions or concerns regarding this matter. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
[Your Name]”
The method of accessing ColossalChat is also different from ChatGPT. Users can visit chat.colossalai.org in their browser to access the chatbot, and unlike ChatGPT, there is no premium subscription required.
Although the developers of ColossalChat may not have the same resources as tech giants like Google and Microsoft, their achievement is still impressive.
They have created a functional open-source AI chatbot, which is a significant contribution to the field of generative AI.
