Latamgpt’s goal is to develop AI that accurately reflects the diverse culture of Latin America

Latin America has been a source of inspiration for various aspects, including a popular literary and musical genre and staple foods like potatoes. A famous Happy meal is now an indication of this inspiration. There is potential for Latin America to also become a cradle for AI.

A coalition of research institutes is collaborating on a project called latamgpt, which aims to create a tool that considers regional language differences, cultural experiences, and “specificity.” This tool is intended to provide more accurate representations for users in Latin America and the Caribbean compared to existing Large Language Models (LLM) primarily trained by US or Chinese companies in English.

The project lead, Rodrigo Duran Rojas, expressed the importance of developing local AI solutions to better serve Latin America. The goal is to offer a representative outlook tailored for the region, with initial tests showing promising results in areas like South American history.

Over 30 institutions are involved in the development of Latamgpt from countries across the hemisphere, including collaborations with Latinos in the US like Freddy Vilci Meneseth, an associate professor of Hispanic Studies at Lewis & Clark College, Oregon.

Latamgpt’s launch is planned for around June, following a significant commitment from various regions for improved AI governance. Projects like monitoring deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest and preserving historical documents from past dictatorships are contributing to the dataset used for training Latamgpt.

With a dataset of over 8 terabytes, Latamgpt aims to provide a nuanced and localized model for various applications. The project faces challenges in incorporating diverse dialects and complex grammatical structures, but emphasizes the importance of collaboration for continued development.

Diversified dialects and complex grammar challenges

Efforts like Latamgpt, CHATGPT, and Google’s Gemini are working towards incorporating a wider range of data and improving localization for non-English languages. Challenges in training models for languages with complex grammar and dialects persist.

Despite these challenges, Latamgpt aims to address these issues through collaboration with institutions, libraries, and archives across the region. The project continues to receive data and feedback to enhance its capabilities and explore applications in public policy and regulation.

The long-term goal of Latamgpt is to create an interconnected network for developing AI solutions with a Latinx touch, emphasizing the impact of collaboration in shaping the future of technology in Latin America and beyond.

An earlier version of this story was first published by Noticias Telemundo.