Italian Large Language Model in Swahili underway

TANZANIA: TANZANIA and the Italian generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) company Almawave have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop and introduce an Italian Large Language Model (LLM) in the Swahili language.

The collaboration aims to provide a powerful AI tool tailored for use by the Tanzanian public sector, enhancing communication and services.

The agreement, announced in a joint statement by Almawave and Tanzania’s Information Communication Technologies Commission (ICTC), encompasses the development of Almawave’s LLM, known as Velvet, in both Swahili and English.

This initiative will involve the exchange of data, experiences and technologies between the two parties to ensure the model’s effective localisation.

Ms Valeria Sandei, Chief Executive Officer of Almawave, highlighted that the Velvet model, developed on the Leonardo Supercomputer managed by Cineca, will be provided as an open-source version to the ICTC. In return, the ICTC will supply local data to help train the Swahili version of the model.

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“The adoption of Velvet in Swahili, tailored to the country’s needs, shows how generative AI can accelerate digitisation, improve public services and foster socio-economic development,” Ms Sandei stated.

ICTC Director General, Dr Nkundwe Mwasaga, emphasised that the initiative will contribute to building a Kiswahili LLM suited for the public sector.

He noted that the model will enable linguistic solutions such as real-time speech translation and grammar tools, benefiting Tanzanians across various sectors.

This agreement follows the 8th Tanzania Annual ICT Conference (TAIC), where the theme was “Unleashing the Power of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Socio-economic Transformation.”

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa commended the collaboration between ICTC and Almawave, recognising its potential to boost efficiency in the public sector.

Almawave has previously collaborated with the Tanzanian judiciary, using AI technologies to digitise criminal and civil cases in both Swahili and English.

The partnership is expected to strengthen ties between the Italian company and Tanzania, as well as other African countries where Swahili is widely spoken, serving over 70 million people.