The head of the global research center is the advocate for Al for Spanish speakers, which will be fueled by public data, including parliamentary debates, and «anyone who wants to contribute.»
The human brain, the most complex natural structure in the known universe, is being simulated by the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) and IBM. Their supercomputer Mare Nostrum and IBM’s global artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure are working to replicate a fraction of the brain’s capacity to understand and respond in Spanish, spoken by over 500 million people. The project is backed by the Spanish government. Darío Gil, head of IBM’s global research division, recently signed an agreement to create the first major Al language model in Spanish. He believes the project, which will utilize an open and collaborative architecture, will be revolutionary. Gil anticipates the initial development will be showcased this year. IBM’s commitment to Al in Spanish aligns with the government’s strategy and is based on the belief that the future of Al will be defined through an open ecosystem. The participation process will involve creating collaborative environments to develop foundational models based on open source code. The project will utilize BSC’s existing computational capabilities, with a commitment from the Minister for Digital Transition to continue investing in the evolution of MareNostrum. IBM will contribute its dedicated supercomputing centers for Al and the latest advances from IBM Research. The Al model targets all sectors, but the government is particularly interested in benefiting small and medium-sized businesses and state administration. The cost of the project is unclear, but it is ambitious, requiring thousands of processing units costing at least $35,000 each. Public data will be used to feed the model, and there is a desire to use state-owned documents. The model will be able to incorporate a wide variety of languages, adapting to different variations of Spanish. The open-source model will allow for a significant diversity, with the aim of expanding it as much as possible. The first model is expected to be available this year. IBM stands to gain from this venture, as it is accustomed to the business model of providing software to companies and governments that later require maintenance or security compatible with their equipment. The company is part of an Al alliance that includes more than 80 institutions. Gil denies the existence of an Al bubble, stating that the technology is evolving at an unprecedented speed.
