Indosat to introduce Indonesian-language AI model in July

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison to Launch Garuda Language Model in July

JAKARTA – Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, a publicly listed telco firm, announced on Tuesday that they will be launching a large language model (LLM) for the Indonesian language called Garuda in July. This model will enable artificial intelligence technology, such as ChatGPT, to understand interactions in the local language.

CEO Vikram Sinha highlighted the significance of this development, stating, “Just imagine a machine talking in Indonesian. A lot of people would benefit and it would happen through NVIDIA’s GPUs.” The company signed a memorandum of understanding with Indian developer Tech Mahindra to develop the Garuda language model during the Mobile World Congress in February.

In addition to this, Indosat also revealed a collaboration with tech giant NVIDIA to access their technology and develop local AI infrastructure in Indonesia. The telco firm will offer AI cloud services to public and private enterprises in the country through its subsidiary Lintasarta.

The announcement comes at a time when Indosat has been experiencing significant growth, with a 15.8 percent increase in revenue and a 39 percent growth in net profit in the first three months of the year. The company’s customer base has also increased by 2.3 percent year-on-year to 100.8 million subscribers.

Tech mogul Elon Musk’s recent visit to Bali to inaugurate the service of Starlink, a satellite-based internet provider, has raised questions about potential competition for telco companies like Indosat. However, Sinha expressed a positive outlook, suggesting that collaboration with low-orbit satellite firms could benefit industries in remote areas of Indonesia.

Overall, the launch of the Garuda language model and the collaboration with NVIDIA demonstrate Indosat’s commitment to innovation and growth in the Indonesian tech industry.