Indosat, GoTo Launch Sahabat-AI Open Source LLM in Indonesia

Indonesian operator Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat or IOH) and GoTo have announced the first phase of development of Sahabat-AI, an open-source Large Language Model (LLM) ecosystem specifically designed for Bahasa Indonesia and its local languages. Sahabat-AI is designed to provide a locally developed, open-source LLM ecosystem. With its understanding of the local context, Sahabat-AI is expected to enable Indonesians to build AI-based services and applications in Bahasa Indonesia and various local languages, addressing a gap left by global AI models, the official release said.

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Indonesia AI Day

The launch event, held during Indonesia AI day, featured speakers including Jensen Huang, Nvidia founder and CEO; Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison; and Patrick Walujo, CEO of GoTo.

Sahabat-AI

Indosat said Sahabat-AI is more than just an LLM; it is an open ecosystem that brings together research institutes, universities, media organisations, government agencies, and other partners in a national effort. The project is supported by AI Singapore and Tech Mahindra, using Nvidia AI Enterprise software, including Nvidia NeMo, to train the model and enhance general language understanding.

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Sahabat-AI’s Impact

Sahabat-AI can process vast amounts of data in Bahasa Indonesia and its local languages, preserving essential cultural and linguistic nuances. Trained using Nvidia’s full-stack AI platform, the Sahabat-AI model is designed as a solution for Indonesians’ everyday needs. In its first phase, Sahabat-AI will launch with 8-billion and 9-billion parameter LLMs.

Indosat, working closely with Nvidia in Indonesia, will provide support for the ongoing development of Sahabat-AI’s family of models through the Indosat Group GPU Merdeka sovereign AI cloud service featuring Nvidia Hopper-based accelerated computing. Additionally, Hippocratic AI safely focused LLM for healthcare, will incorporate the new Sahabat-AI models into its services for Indonesia residents, the official release said.