Singapore and Indonesia have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a large language model (LLM) tool for Bahasa Indonesia, akin to ChatGPT and Google’s Bard. The collaboration involves four Indonesian entities, including the National Research and Innovation Agency and the Collaboration for Research and Innovation in Artificial Intelligence (Korika), along with AI Singapore, the Republic’s national AI program.
The signing of a letter of intent on Nov 30 in Jakarta signifies the commitment to co-develop an open-source LLM tool that aims to be accessible to a broad audience. The project's objective is to cater to the unique linguistic nuances and demands of Bahasa Indonesia, which currently constitutes only 0.6% of online content, according to figures from global research firm Statista.
The LLM tools, known for processing large amounts of information and understanding language usage, gained popularity with the introduction of ChatGPT in 2022. The collaboration is seen as crucial in addressing the under-representation of Southeast Asia in commonly used LLMs, many of which originate from the US or China.
AI Singapore's Head of Strategy, Partnerships, and Growth, Darius Liu, highlighted the potential impact of LLM tools on various sectors of the economy. He emphasized the importance of such collaborations to ensure that AI tools are better suited to the Southeast Asian context.
The signing event at Plaza Senayan mall in central Jakarta was attended by Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Communication and Informatics, Nezar Patria, who stressed how AI has enhanced efficiency in the country's workforce. He projected that by 2030, AI could contribute $366 billion to Indonesia’s GDP and nearly $1 trillion across Southeast Asia.
The collaboration coincides with Bahasa Indonesia's designation as the 10th official language of the Unesco General Conference during its 42nd session in Paris on Nov 20. This move underlines the growing importance of the language on the global stage.
In attendance at the signing event was also the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, Suryo Pratomo. The joint efforts reflect the shared commitment to harnessing AI for economic growth and technological advancement, aligning with both countries' ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence.
