Kyivstar and Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine sign Cooperation Memorandum to Launch National Large Language Model for Ukraine

Core Points - VEON Ltd. and Kyivstar are collaborating with Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation to develop Ukraine's first national large language model (LLM) trained on Ukrainian-language data, with a commitment to invest USD 1 billion in rebuilding Ukraine's digital infrastructure from 2023 to 2027 [1][5][6] Group 1: Project Overview - The LLM will utilize open-source architectures and be trained exclusively on Ukrainian data sources, capturing various dialects, terminology, history, and cultural context [2] - The project aims to securely store and process sensitive national data within Ukraine, which is essential for sectors like government, defense, healthcare, and financial services [2][3] Group 2: Applications and Benefits - The LLM will serve as a foundation for AI-powered products and services, including legal and regulatory analysis tools, and specialized applications in education, finance, and health [3][4] - The model is expected to provide more accurate and relevant insights for Ukrainian users compared to general-purpose global models [3] Group 3: Strategic Importance - The initiative is seen as a significant step towards building a sovereign and culturally relevant AI ecosystem that supports economic growth and enhances the lives of Ukrainians [5] - The development aligns with VEON's broader strategy to address the AI language gap for underrepresented languages in its markets, as demonstrated by similar initiatives in Kazakhstan and Pakistan [5]