Latin American Countries to Launch Latam-GPT AI Model in September
A coalition of a dozen Latin American countries is set to launch Latam-GPT, the region’s first large-scale AI language model designed specifically to understand and reflect Latin America’s cultural and linguistic diversity. The project, led by Chile’s National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) and involving over 30 regional institutions, aims to increase AI accessibility and adoption across the continent.
Chilean Science Minister Aisen Etcheverry described Latam-GPT as a “democratizing element for AI,” envisioning its use in sectors such as education and healthcare, with technology that resonates with local culture and languages. Development began in January 2023, focusing on addressing the limitations and inaccuracies found in global AI models primarily trained in English.
Rather than competing directly with commercial AI services like ChatGPT, Latam-GPT is intended as foundational technology to power regional applications including chatbots. One of its highlighted objectives is the preservation of Indigenous languages. The model already includes a translator for Rapa Nui, the native language of Easter Island, with plans to expand support to other Indigenous tongues for use in virtual public service assistants and personalized education tools.
Built on Llama 3 AI technology, the model is trained via a network of computers spanning regional institutions such as Chile’s University of Tarapaca and cloud infrastructure. Support has come from the Latin American development bank CAF and Amazon Web Services.
Although the project currently operates without a dedicated budget, CENIA’s director Alvaro Soto is optimistic that demonstrating Latam-GPT’s capabilities will help secure future funding.