Cohere, a Canadian AI startup developing large language models, has announced major updates to its Command R and Command R+ AI models, enhancing their capabilities for enterprise applications. The new versions, command-r-08-2024 and command-r-plus-08-2024, are available through Cohere's hosted API and Amazon SageMaker, with pricing starting at USD 0.15 per million input tokens for the standard model.

The updated models feature improved retrieval-augmented generation, support for 23 languages, and adaptive tool use. They offer enhanced coding, mathematics, logical reasoning, and structured data analysis capabilities. The models also introduce Safety Modes in beta, allowing enterprises to toggle between "Strict" and "Contextual" safety settings for customizable AI governance.

Analyst QuickTake: In July, Cohere raised USD 500 million in Series D funding to expand its team and further develop its AI technology, enabling productivity and efficiency gains for businesses. Subsequently, it laid off about 20 employees (around 5% of the total workforce), emphasizing its focus on GenAI for businesses rather than consumer chatbots.