Sony Research and AI Singapore (AISG) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on research for the Sea-Lion (Southeast Asian Languages In One Network) family of large language models (LLMs).
Sea-Lion is specifically pre-trained and instruct-tuned for contents created in Southeast Asian (SEA) languages.
This collaboration aims to address the current under-representation of SEA in the global LLM landscape, working towards more inclusive and diverse language models. It will be spearheaded by Sony AI, a specialised division in Sony Research, leveraging their expertise in AI and machine learning.
Sony Research and AISG will explore testing and feedback of Sea-Lion, particularly for Tamil and other Southeast Asian languages, as well as sharing best practices on LLM development and research methodologies.
This will also involve leveraging Sony Research’s strong presence in India to its expertise in LLM development on Indian languages, including Tamil, and the applicability of its recent research in the areas of speech generation, content analysis and recognition.
“In Southeast Asia specifically, there are more than a thousand different languages spoken by the citizens of the region. This linguistic diversity underscores the importance of ensuring AI models and tools are designed to support the needs of all populations around the world,” said Hiroaki Kitano, President of Sony Research.
“The integration of the Sea-Lion model, with its Tamil language capabilities, holds great potential to boost the performance of new solutions. We are particularly eager to contribute to the testing and refinement of the Sea-Lion models for Tamil and other Southeast Asian languages, while also sharing our expertise and best practices in LLM development,” said Leslie Teo, Senior Director of AI Products, AI Singapore.
Entelechy Asia 