The Linux Foundation introduced the Acumos Project today as part of their effort to help democratize the building, sharing and deploying of AI apps as the technology advances. The new project will work to provide a common framework and platform as well as a marketplace for businesses.

“An open and connected AI platform will promote collaboration as developers and companies look to define the future of AI,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. “Because the platform is open source, it will be accessible to anyone with an interest in AI and machine learning, and customizable to meet specific needs. We expect interest from organizations doing work with autonomous vehicles, drones, content curation and analytics, and much more.”

The foundation is still working towards organizing and a governance model for Acumos, which is expected to launch early next year with an initial focus on application development and microservices. Founding organizations include AT&T and Tech Mahindra, a digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering company.

The platform will enable developers to edit, integrate, compose, package, train and deploy AI and machine learning applications. The marketplace will enable businesses to access, use and enhance applications. The Acumous team will also work to create an industry standard for AI apps and reusable models.

“Artificial intelligence is a critical tool for growing our business. However, the current state of today’s AI environment is fractured, which creates a significant barrier to adoption,” said Mazin Gilbert, vice president of advanced technology at AT&T Labs. “Acumos will expedite innovation and deployment of AI applications, and make them available to everyone.”