ISSAI to Launch First Kazakh Large Language Model on December 16
The Institute of Smart Systems and Artificial Intelligence (ISSAI) at Nazarbayev University is making history with the upcoming launch of the first Kazakh large language model (LLM) on December 16th, the thirty-third anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence. This groundbreaking project is set to revolutionize the field of artificial intelligence and position Kazakhstan at the forefront of technological innovation.
The development of KazLLM has been a collaborative effort involving students from NU, Astana IT University, Bolashak scholarship graduates, and local talent. Professor Atakan Varol, the visionary behind the project, emphasized the importance of not only creating cutting-edge AI tools but also cultivating a skilled workforce capable of driving technological advancements in the country.
The project’s data collection process has been comprehensive, drawing from a diverse range of sources such as Wikipedia, news outlets, government websites, and open data sets. ISSAI has been actively developing natural language processing datasets for the Kazakh language over the past five years, ensuring that the model is tailored to the unique linguistic characteristics of the region.
Madina Abdrakhmanova, Deputy Director for External Relations and Lead Data Scientist at ISSAI, provided insights into the model’s training corpus, which will consist of at least 100 billion tokens in Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish. The project has already generated over 30 billion tokens, paving the way for the development of an interactive interface that will allow users to interact with the model seamlessly.
ISSAI has ambitious plans for the model’s commercialization, with a subscription service for general users and a specialized API for advanced users in the pipeline. This strategy aims to ensure widespread adoption of the model across various platforms and applications, facilitating its integration into websites, smartphone apps, and PC applications.
The launch of KazLLM represents a significant milestone for Kazakhstan’s technological development and highlights the country’s commitment to leveraging AI for the benefit of its citizens. By closing the gap with other countries in the field of artificial intelligence, Kazakhstan is poised to make a mark on the global stage and pave the way for future innovation in the region. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking project as it unfolds on December 16th.