Singapore Sets Sights on 2024 to Expand AI Models for Commercial Use
Singapore is aiming to become a global powerhouse in artificial intelligence (AI) technology by 2024, with a focus on developing AI models that cater specifically to Southeast Asian populations. The government-led initiative, AI Singapore, is leading the way in this endeavor.
One of their notable projects is SEA-LION, an open-source language model designed to represent the languages and cultures of Southeast Asia. SEA-LION is the first in a series of large language models (LLMs) and has been trained on data from 11 languages, including Vietnamese, Thai, and Bahasa Indonesia. The team at AI Singapore plans to have SEA-LION ready for use in 2024.
Dr. Leslie Teo, senior director of AI products at AI Singapore, revealed that they are planning to release an improved instruction-tuned model in the coming weeks. This new version will have both a commercially permissible license and a non-commercial license due to the data used in its training.
The development of SEA-LION aims to reduce the region’s reliance on AI models built for the English language, which are predominantly developed in the West.
AI Singapore is actively seeking collaborations to further enhance SEA-LION’s capabilities and promote its adoption across the region. They have already partnered with companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for infrastructure and Google Research for data. Additionally, they are working with communities such as SEACrowd to create a diverse data corpus in native languages.
Teo emphasized that SEA-LION is an open model that can be utilized by companies looking to do business in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s strong ecosystem for innovation and its track record in emerging technologies, such as cryptocurrency and blockchain, make it a promising candidate for AI development.
The AI fintech sector in Singapore has seen significant growth, with funding reaching $333.13 million in the second half of 2023 alone, a 77% increase from the previous six months. Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, unveiled at the end of 2023, aims to nurture 15,000 AI experts, enhance government competency, build a smart nation, and expand computing capacity.
In summary, Singapore is making impressive strides in AI technology, with the goal of becoming a global AI hub by 2024. Through initiatives like AI Singapore and projects like SEA-LION, the country is positioning itself as a leader in developing AI models tailored to the needs of Southeast Asian populations.