How Singapore is creating more inclusive AI

As the adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) grows, it appears to be running into an issue that has also plagued other industries: a lack of inclusivity and global representation. 

Encompassing 11 markets, including Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, Southeast Asia has a total population of some 692.1 million people. Its residents speak more than a dozen main languages, including Filipino, Vietnamese, and Lao. Singapore alone has four official languages: Chinese, English, Tamil, and Malay. 

Most major large language models (LLMs) used globally today are non-Asian focused, underrepresenting huge pockets of populations and languages. Countries like Singapore are looking to plug this gap, particularly for Southeast Asia, so the region has LLMs that better understand its diverse contexts, languages, and cultures.

The country is among other nations in the region that have highlighted the need to build foundation models that can mitigate data bias in current LLMs originating from Western countries. 

According to Leslie Teo, senior director of AI products at AI Singapore (AISG), Southeast Asia needs models that are powerful and reflect the diversity of its region. AISG believes the solution comes in the form of Southeast Asian Languages in One Network (SEA-LION), an open-source LLM that is touted to be smaller, more flexible, and faster compared to others on the market today.