Singapore's AI Breakthrough: MERaLiON Understands Singlish and Emotions

Singapore's MERaLiON AI: A New Era in Multilingual Understanding Singapore is at the forefront of AI development, with the recent unveiling of MERaLiON, a groundbreaking AI system designed to understand the nuances of Southeast Asian languages. This includes not only the languages themselves but also the cultural context and emotional undertones crucial for effective communication. The system's ability to understand Singlish, a unique blend of English and local dialects, is particularly noteworthy. "It is a multimodal large language model designed to understand and reflect how Southeast Asians communicate," explains Aw Ai Ti, Department Head of Aural and Language Intelligence at A*STAR. This focus on regional linguistic diversity sets MERaLiON apart from global AI models. Dr. Lawrence Wee, Director of the BizTech Group at IMDA, emphasizes the importance of culturally accurate AI. "By incorporating Southeast Asian nuances and cultural contexts, it provides more accurate outputs," he says, highlighting the reduction in AI hallucinations, a common issue in other large language models. The potential applications of MERaLiON are vast. From improving elderly care to combating scam calls, its multilingual capabilities and emotional intelligence make it a valuable tool. Twelve organizations across health and banking are already exploring its practical uses in areas like multilingual customer support. The development of MERaLiON marks a significant step towards creating AI that truly understands and serves the diverse communities of Southeast Asia.