Bangkok Post – Singapore builds AI model to ‘represent’ Southeast Asians

SINGAPORE – Like millions worldwide, Southeast Asians have been trying out large language models (LLMs) such as Meta’s Llama 2 and Mistral AI – but in their native Bahasa Indonesia or Thai. The result has usually been gibberish in English.

This leaves them at a disadvantage, tech experts warn, as generative artificial intelligence (AI) transforms education, work and governance worldwide.

A Singapore government-led initiative aims to correct the imbalance with a Southeast Asian LLM, the first in a family of models named SEA-LION – Southeast Asian Languages in One Network – trained in the region’s languages and cultural norms.

Trained on data in 11 Southeast Asian languages including Vietnamese, Thai and Bahasa Indonesia, the open-sourced model is a cheaper and more efficient option for the region’s businesses, governments and academia, said Leslie Teo at AI…