IMDA, AI Singapore, A*STAR launch $70m AI initiative

The initiative aims to develop Southeast Asia’s first large language model ecosystem.

Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), AI Singapore (AISG) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have launched the National Multimodal LLM Programme (NMLP) aimed to build Singapore's capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) research and development (R&D) and develop AI talent.

To build skilled AI talent, the parties will provide funding and access to high-end computing for local researchers and engineers.

The programme will also develop a base model with regional context that can understand Southeast Asia's unique linguistic characteristics and multi-lingual environment. 

Lastly, the initiative also paves the way for  LLM-enabled solutions development for greater productivity and new business opportunities.