Governments are spending billions on their own ‘sovereign’ AI technologies – is it a big waste of money?

Governments around the world are investing heavily in their own "sovereign" AI technologies, competing with tech giants like OpenAI, Meta, and Alibaba. This AI arms race is driven by the desire for language models that can understand and converse in local languages and dialects. Examples include Singapore's government-funded AI model that can communicate in 11 languages, Malaysia's ILMUchat that can distinguish between different Georgetowns, and Switzerland's Apertus that understands the nuances of Swiss German. While these efforts aim to create AI systems tailored to local needs, they also raise questions about the cost-effectiveness of these government-backed projects, especially when compared to the vast resources and expertise of the leading tech companies. The article suggests that competing against these tech giants is neither easy nor cheap, and it remains to be seen whether these government-funded AI initiatives will pay off in the long run.