Hugging Face has announced the launch of a new open-source software offering in collaboration with major tech companies including Alphabet's Google. This initiative aims to reduce the costs associated with building chatbots and other artificial intelligence systems. The new service, named HUGS, allows users to deploy optimized large language models (LLMs) such as Llama 3.1 with minimal configuration. HUGS is available for $1 per hour and supports deployment on platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. The offering is optimized for hardware from Nvidia and AMD, positioning it as a competitive alternative to Nvidia's NIM for open models. Additionally, Hugging Face has partnered with Protect AI to enhance the safety and reliability of its platform, ensuring that all public model repositories will be scanned for security. This move reflects Hugging Face's commitment to the machine learning community and its goal to facilitate more accessible AI development.