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Around the globe, nations are channeling hundreds of billions into the concept of “sovereign AI” – creating domestic artificial intelligence systems. From the city-state of Singapore to Malaysia and Switzerland, states are competing to create AI that grasps local languages and cultural specifics.

The Worldwide AI Arms Race

This trend is an element in a wider global contest dominated by tech giants from the United States and the People's Republic of China. Whereas companies like a leading AI firm and a social media giant pour substantial capital, developing countries are also making independent gambles in the AI field.

Yet amid such huge investments involved, is it possible for less wealthy nations achieve notable advantages? As noted by an expert from an influential thinktank, “Unless you’re a affluent state or a big firm, it’s a significant burden to develop an LLM from scratch.”

Defence Issues

A lot of countries are reluctant to depend on external AI models. Across India, for example, Western-developed AI tools have at times been insufficient. One case involved an AI tool deployed to teach learners in a distant community – it communicated in English with a thick American accent that was difficult to follow for native students.

Then there’s the state security aspect. For the Indian security agencies, employing certain external AI tools is seen as not permissible. As one founder explained, There might be some unvetted learning material that may state that, such as, a certain region is not part of India … Employing that certain system in a military context is a major risk.”

He added, “I have spoken to experts who are in defence. They wish to use AI, but, setting aside specific systems, they are reluctant to rely on American technologies because information could travel outside the country, and that is absolutely not OK with them.”

Domestic Initiatives

Consequently, a number of states are backing domestic ventures. A particular such a initiative is being developed in India, where a company is attempting to develop a sovereign LLM with state funding. This effort has committed roughly a substantial sum to artificial intelligence advancement.

The expert imagines a system that is less resource-intensive than leading tools from Western and Eastern corporations. He states that the country will have to make up for the funding gap with skill. Based in India, we don’t have the advantage of allocating billions of dollars into it,” he says. “How do we compete against for example the $100 or $300 or $500bn that the United States is devoting? I think that is the point at which the fundamental knowledge and the intellectual challenge comes in.”

Native Emphasis

Throughout the city-state, a state-backed program is supporting AI systems educated in south-east Asia’s regional languages. Such dialects – such as Malay, Thai, the Lao language, Indonesian, Khmer and more – are commonly underrepresented in US and Chinese LLMs.

It is my desire that the people who are building these independent AI tools were informed of just how far and how quickly the frontier is moving.

An executive involved in the initiative explains that these models are created to enhance bigger systems, rather than displacing them. Tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, he says, commonly find it challenging to handle native tongues and local customs – interacting in awkward Khmer, for instance, or suggesting non-vegetarian dishes to Malay individuals.

Developing regional-language LLMs permits national authorities to include cultural nuance – and at least be “informed users” of a sophisticated tool developed elsewhere.

He adds, I am cautious with the word national. I think what we’re trying to say is we wish to be better represented and we wish to grasp the abilities” of AI platforms.

Multinational Cooperation

Regarding nations attempting to establish a position in an escalating international arena, there’s an alternative: collaborate. Researchers associated with a prominent university recently proposed a public AI company distributed among a alliance of middle-income countries.

They call the proposal “Airbus for AI”, drawing inspiration from the European effective strategy to build a competitor to Boeing in the 1960s. Their proposal would involve the creation of a public AI company that would pool the resources of several states’ AI programs – such as the United Kingdom, the Kingdom of Spain, the Canadian government, Germany, the nation of Japan, the Republic of Singapore, the Republic of Korea, the French Republic, Switzerland and Sweden – to create a competitive rival to the Western and Eastern leaders.

The main proponent of a study describing the concept says that the proposal has attracted the consideration of AI leaders of at least a few states so far, in addition to a number of sovereign AI firms. While it is currently focused on “mid-sized nations”, emerging economies – the nation of Mongolia and the Republic of Rwanda for example – have also expressed interest.

He explains, “Nowadays, I think it’s an accepted truth there’s diminished faith in the promises of this current White House. People are asking for example, is it safe to rely on such systems? What if they decide to