🔗 Share this article

Around the globe, states are pouring hundreds of billions into the concept of “sovereign AI” – developing their own AI technologies. From the city-state of Singapore to the nation of Malaysia and the Swiss Confederation, countries are vying to develop AI that comprehends native tongues and cultural nuances.

The International AI Battle

This initiative is a component of a larger worldwide competition led by tech giants from the America and China. While companies like a leading AI firm and a social media giant pour substantial capital, mid-sized nations are also placing independent gambles in the artificial intelligence domain.

However given such huge sums at stake, is it possible for smaller countries secure meaningful advantages? According to a analyst from an influential policy organization, “Unless you’re a wealthy state or a big corporation, it’s a significant challenge to create an LLM from scratch.”

Defence Concerns

Many states are hesitant to rely on overseas AI models. Throughout the Indian subcontinent, for example, American-made AI solutions have occasionally fallen short. An illustrative instance saw an AI assistant used to educate learners in a isolated area – it communicated in the English language with a pronounced Western inflection that was nearly-incomprehensible for regional students.

Additionally there’s the state security factor. In the Indian defence ministry, employing particular foreign systems is viewed not permissible. According to a developer explained, There might be some unvetted data source that may state that, oh, Ladakh is outside of India … Using that particular AI in a military context is a big no-no.”

He further stated, I’ve discussed with individuals who are in the military. They want to use AI, but, forget about specific systems, they don’t even want to rely on US platforms because data might go outside the country, and that is totally inappropriate with them.”

Domestic Projects

Consequently, some nations are backing national initiatives. An example such initiative is underway in the Indian market, wherein an organization is attempting to build a national LLM with public support. This effort has dedicated about $1.25bn to artificial intelligence advancement.

The founder imagines a system that is less resource-intensive than premier models from US and Chinese tech companies. He states that the country will have to make up for the resource shortfall with expertise. Located in India, we do not possess the luxury of investing billions of dollars into it,” he says. “How do we contend against for example the hundreds of billions that the America is devoting? I think that is the point at which the core expertise and the brain game comes in.”

Native Emphasis

Across Singapore, a public project is supporting machine learning tools developed in south-east Asia’s native tongues. These particular dialects – such as the Malay language, Thai, Lao, Bahasa Indonesia, the Khmer language and more – are frequently poorly represented in Western-developed LLMs.

I wish the people who are building these national AI tools were aware of the extent to which and the speed at which the leading edge is progressing.

An executive involved in the program says that these models are created to complement more extensive models, instead of substituting them. Systems such as ChatGPT and another major AI system, he comments, commonly find it challenging to handle native tongues and local customs – communicating in stilted Khmer, for instance, or proposing non-vegetarian dishes to Malaysian users.

Creating regional-language LLMs allows national authorities to incorporate cultural sensitivity – and at least be “smart consumers” of a powerful tool built overseas.

He adds, I am prudent with the concept national. I think what we’re attempting to express is we wish to be better represented and we wish to understand the capabilities” of AI platforms.

Multinational Cooperation

Regarding countries trying to establish a position in an escalating global market, there’s another possibility: team up. Researchers connected to a respected institution put forward a government-backed AI initiative shared among a consortium of developing countries.

They term the proposal “a collaborative AI effort”, drawing inspiration from Europe’s effective initiative to build a alternative to Boeing in the 1960s. Their proposal would entail the formation of a public AI company that would merge the assets of different nations’ AI programs – including the UK, the Kingdom of Spain, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, the nation of Japan, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, the French Republic, the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of Sweden – to create a viable alternative to the US and Chinese leaders.

The primary researcher of a paper outlining the initiative states that the proposal has attracted the consideration of AI leaders of at least three states so far, in addition to a number of sovereign AI companies. While it is presently focused on “mid-sized nations”, developing countries – Mongolia and Rwanda among them – have additionally expressed interest.

He comments, “Nowadays, I think it’s an accepted truth there’s reduced confidence in the commitments of the existing White House. Experts are questioning like, is it safe to rely on these technologies? What if they decide to