🔗 Share this article

Around the globe, states are investing hundreds of billions into what is known as “sovereign AI” – building their own artificial intelligence models. From Singapore to Malaysia and the Swiss Confederation, states are racing to build AI that grasps native tongues and local customs.

The International AI Competition

This movement is part of a wider worldwide contest dominated by large firms from the US and the People's Republic of China. Whereas organizations like a leading AI firm and Meta pour substantial resources, middle powers are additionally taking sovereign gambles in the artificial intelligence domain.

However given such huge investments involved, is it possible for less wealthy states achieve significant gains? As stated by an expert from an influential research institute, If not you’re a rich state or a big corporation, it’s quite a challenge to develop an LLM from nothing.”

Security Concerns

Many states are reluctant to rely on external AI systems. In India, for example, US-built AI systems have at times been insufficient. An illustrative example featured an AI tool used to instruct pupils in a distant village – it spoke in English with a thick US accent that was nearly-incomprehensible for native listeners.

Then there’s the national security dimension. For the Indian defence ministry, relying on certain international models is seen as inadmissible. As one entrepreneur explained, “It could have some arbitrary training dataset that might say that, such as, Ladakh is not part of India … Employing that certain model in a defence setup is a serious concern.”

He added, I’ve discussed with experts who are in security. They aim to use AI, but, setting aside specific systems, they prefer not to rely on American systems because details may be transferred overseas, and that is totally inappropriate with them.”

National Initiatives

In response, several nations are supporting local projects. One this effort is underway in India, wherein a firm is attempting to create a national LLM with government funding. This effort has allocated roughly $1.25bn to AI development.

The developer foresees a AI that is less resource-intensive than leading tools from American and Asian tech companies. He explains that the country will have to compensate for the financial disparity with talent. Based in India, we lack the luxury of investing billions of dollars into it,” he says. “How do we vie versus for example the hundreds of billions that the US is devoting? I think that is where the fundamental knowledge and the intellectual challenge comes in.”

Regional Priority

Across Singapore, a public project is backing AI systems educated in local native tongues. These languages – such as the Malay language, the Thai language, Lao, Indonesian, the Khmer language and additional ones – are commonly inadequately covered in American and Asian LLMs.

It is my desire that the individuals who are developing these independent AI models were aware of just how far and the speed at which the frontier is progressing.

An executive engaged in the project explains that these systems are intended to enhance more extensive AI, instead of displacing them. Platforms such as ChatGPT and another major AI system, he states, frequently struggle with native tongues and cultural aspects – speaking in awkward the Khmer language, for example, or recommending pork-based dishes to Malaysian consumers.

Creating regional-language LLMs allows state agencies to include local context – and at least be “knowledgeable adopters” of a powerful technology built elsewhere.

He adds, I am prudent with the term independent. I think what we’re attempting to express is we wish to be more accurately reflected and we aim to grasp the features” of AI platforms.

Multinational Collaboration

Regarding nations attempting to carve out a role in an growing worldwide landscape, there’s a different approach: team up. Researchers affiliated with a well-known university have suggested a state-owned AI venture distributed among a consortium of developing countries.

They refer to the project “a collaborative AI effort”, in reference to the European successful play to develop a rival to Boeing in the mid-20th century. This idea would see the formation of a government-supported AI organization that would merge the resources of several states’ AI programs – for example the United Kingdom, 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 establish a viable alternative to the US and Chinese giants.

The lead author of a paper outlining the concept says that the proposal has drawn the interest of AI officials of at least three countries to date, in addition to several state AI firms. Although it is presently focused on “mid-sized nations”, less wealthy nations – Mongolia and Rwanda among them – have additionally indicated willingness.

He elaborates, “Nowadays, I think it’s just a fact there’s reduced confidence in the assurances of this current US administration. Experts are questioning like, should we trust these technologies? What if they decide to