New Delhi. Indian technology company 'Sarvam AI' has unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can run smoothly even on basic Nokia-style feature phones without an internet connection. At the India AI Impact Summit held in Delhi, the Bengaluru-based company showcased its new suite and the 'Sarvam Edge' platform.
This technology has been specifically developed targeting users in rural and remote areas with limited internet access. The company has taken this revolutionary step considering the statistic that about 29 percent of the world's population still lacks internet access.
Sarvam's new system operates directly on the smartphone or laptop instead of a remote data center. This ensures that user data does not leave the device, further strengthening privacy.
The company is collaborating with chip manufacturer Qualcomm and HMD, the licensee of the Nokia brand, for this initiative. It is claimed that this model will be very affordable as it involves no 'per query' fees or cloud costs. Through 'Sarvam Edge', users will be able to use translation, voice-to-text, and AI assistant features in various Indian languages without the internet.
At the summit, the company also unveiled two large language models with 30 billion and 105 billion parameters. Although these models are smaller than OpenAI's 'GPT-4', they have been trained using domestic resources, focusing on Indian needs and languages.
According to experts, Sarvam has adopted the correct strategy by focusing on users with resource constraints and local language needs, rather than competing with large Silicon Valley companies.
India has utilized this summit to assert its strong presence in the AI sector, which is currently dominated by the US and China. In addition to Sarvam, Tech Mahindra showcased a 'Hindi-first' model at the summit, and other startups unveiled specialized AI systems for health, education, and good governance.
These models were developed using computing resources provided by the Government of India. This success positions India as a major competitor in the global race for AI.
