San Francisco, Aug 18 (IANS): Meta (formerly Facebook) is reportedly preparing to launch software to help developers automatically generate programming code, challenging proprietary software offered by OpenAI, Google, and others.

According to The Information, citing sources, Meta's code-generating artificial intelligence (AI) model -- 'Code Llama', will be open-source and could launch as soon as next week.

The new coding model competes with OpenAI's Codex model and is based on Meta's Llama 2 software, a large-language model capable of understanding and producing conversational text.

Llama 2, an open-source AI framework, has upended the AI field by making it easier for businesses to create their own AI apps without having to pay for software from OpenAI, Google, or Microsoft.

According to the report, Code Llama will make it easier for companies to create AI assistants that automatically suggest code to developers as they type, and it may entice customers away from paid coding assistants like Microsoft's GitHub Copilot, which is powered by Codex.

Meanwhile, Meta will reportedly launch AI-powered "personas" in its services -- which include Facebook and Instagram -- as soon as next month, giving users a new way to search, get recommendations, and otherwise engage with its products and also to boost engagement with its social media platforms.

According to the Financial Times, citing sources, the tech giant has been designing prototypes for chatbots that can have humanlike discussions with its nearly four billion users.

The chatbots could have distinct personalities, such as one that provides travel recommendations "in the style of a surfer" and another that speaks in the manner of former US President Abraham Lincoln.