🔗 Share this article

Around the globe, nations are investing enormous sums into what is known as “sovereign AI” – building national machine learning models. Starting with Singapore to the nation of Malaysia and Switzerland, nations are racing to create AI that understands regional dialects and cultural nuances.

The International AI Competition

This trend is a component of a broader worldwide contest led by major corporations from the US and China. While organizations like OpenAI and Meta invest enormous capital, developing countries are also taking sovereign investments in the AI field.

Yet given such vast investments involved, is it possible for developing states attain notable benefits? As stated by a analyst from an influential thinktank, “Unless you’re a wealthy government or a major corporation, it’s a substantial hardship to build an LLM from scratch.”

National Security Considerations

Many nations are hesitant to use external AI technologies. Across India, for example, American-made AI systems have at times been insufficient. An illustrative case involved an AI assistant used to teach pupils in a remote village – it spoke in English with a pronounced Western inflection that was hard to understand for local listeners.

Then there’s the defence aspect. For India’s defence ministry, using certain foreign models is viewed not permissible. According to a developer explained, It's possible it contains some unvetted learning material that could claim that, for example, Ladakh is not part of India … Utilizing that particular system in a military context is a major risk.”

He further stated, I’ve discussed with experts who are in the military. They want to use AI, but, setting aside specific systems, they prefer not to rely on Western systems because details might go overseas, and that is absolutely not OK with them.”

Homegrown Initiatives

As a result, a number of countries are supporting domestic initiatives. One such effort is in progress in India, wherein an organization is working to develop a sovereign LLM with public backing. This project has committed about 1.25 billion dollars to artificial intelligence advancement.

The expert foresees a AI that is less resource-intensive than top-tier tools from US and Chinese corporations. He states that India will have to make up for the funding gap with expertise. Based in India, we lack the option of investing massive funds into it,” he says. “How do we vie against such as the enormous investments that the US is investing? I think that is the point at which the key skills and the strategic thinking plays a role.”

Regional Emphasis

Throughout the city-state, a state-backed program is backing machine learning tools developed in the region's local dialects. These dialects – such as the Malay language, Thai, Lao, Bahasa Indonesia, the Khmer language and others – are commonly inadequately covered in American and Asian LLMs.

I wish the people who are developing these independent AI tools were conscious of the extent to which and the speed at which the frontier is progressing.

A senior director involved in the initiative says that these models are created to complement more extensive AI, as opposed to substituting them. Platforms such as ChatGPT and Gemini, he comments, commonly find it challenging to handle local dialects and cultural aspects – speaking in awkward Khmer, for instance, or suggesting pork-based dishes to Malay individuals.

Developing regional-language LLMs allows local governments to code in cultural sensitivity – and at least be “informed users” of a advanced system built overseas.

He further explains, “I’m very careful with the concept sovereign. I think what we’re attempting to express is we wish to be better represented and we want to understand the features” of AI technologies.

International Collaboration

Regarding nations trying to establish a position in an intensifying worldwide landscape, there’s an alternative: join forces. Experts affiliated with a prominent institution have suggested a public AI company allocated across a alliance of middle-income countries.

They refer to the proposal “Airbus for AI”, drawing inspiration from the European successful play to create a competitor to Boeing in the 1960s. The plan would entail the formation of a public AI company that would pool the assets of several states’ AI initiatives – for example the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Spain, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Korea, France, Switzerland and the Kingdom of Sweden – to create a viable alternative to the Western and Eastern leaders.

The primary researcher of a report describing the proposal notes that the proposal has drawn the attention of AI ministers of at least several nations so far, as well as multiple state AI firms. While it is currently focused on “middle powers”, less wealthy nations – Mongolia and Rwanda included – have also shown curiosity.

He explains, In today’s climate, I think it’s simply reality there’s diminished faith in the promises of this current American government. Experts are questioning for example, can I still depend on any of this tech? In case they opt to