Opera revealed today that it is introducing a new feature allowing users to download and utilize Large Language Models (LLMs) directly on their computers. Initially available to Opera One users receiving developer stream updates, this functionality offers access to over 150 models spanning more than 50 families.
Expanding Model Selection: Opera’s Range of Available LLMs
Among these models are notable ones like Llama from Meta, Gemma from Google, and Vicuna. This capability forms part of Opera’s AI Feature Drops Program, granting early access to select AI features.
Utilizing the Ollama open-source framework within the browser, Opera enables users to execute these models locally. Presently, the available models constitute a subset of Ollama’s library, with plans to incorporate models from various sources in the future.
Each variant of these models requires over 2GB of space on the user’s local system. Users should manage their available storage to prevent depletion. Notably, Opera does not undertake efforts to optimize storage during model downloads.
Jan Standal, VP of Opera, highlighted the significance of this milestone, noting, “Opera has now for the first time ever provided access to a large selection of 3rd party local LLMs directly in the browser. It is expected that they may reduce in size as they get more and more specialized for the tasks at hand,” in a statement to TechCrunch.
While this feature proves valuable for those interested in experimenting with various models locally, users seeking to conserve space can explore numerous online tools like Quora’s Poe and HuggingChat to engage with different models.
Opera has been delving into AI-driven functionalities since last year. The company introduced an assistant named Aria in the sidebar in May, extending it to the iOS version in August. In response to the EU’s Digital Market Acts (DMA) request for Apple to relinquish the mandatory WebKit engine requirement for mobile browsers, Opera announced in January its endeavor to develop an AI-powered browser with its own engine for iOS.
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