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Back to all news LANGUAGE MODELS

Chile Launches 'Latam-GPT': A Regional AI Model Born From Collaboration

Artificial Intelligence Large Language Model Latin America Open Source CENIA AI Development Regional AI Data Corpus Cognitive Robotics
September 01, 2025
Source: Wired AI
Viqus Verdict Logo Viqus Verdict Logo 8
Regional Renaissance
Media Hype 7/10
Real Impact 8/10

Article Summary

The Chilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA) has launched Latam-GPT, a groundbreaking large language model specifically tailored for the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Driven by a commitment to technological independence, the project leverages a collaborative, open-source approach, drawing on contributions from 33 strategic partners across the region. The model’s core strength lies in its training data—a staggering 8 terabytes of text, equivalent to millions of books—assembled to understand Latin American languages, contexts, and cultural nuances. With 50 billion parameters, Latam-GPT rivals models like GPT-3.5 in capability, particularly when tackling region-specific tasks. The project's architecture, housed within a newly established supercomputing center in Arica, Chile, represents a critical leap for the region, enabling large-scale model training for the first time. CENIA's goal isn't to compete with global giants like OpenAI; rather, it’s to provide a tool specifically designed for the unique challenges and opportunities within Latin America, allowing for tailored applications in education, healthcare, and more. The focus on data diversity—balancing representation across 20 countries and incorporating indigenous languages like Mapuche and Rapanui – highlights a key difference in approach. This initiative aims to empower Latin American researchers and foster a deeper understanding of AI's impact and potential within the region.

Key Points

  • Latam-GPT is an open-source large language model developed in and for Latin America by CENIA.
  • The model is trained on 8 TB of data, gathered through 33 partnerships across the region, focusing on Latin American languages and contexts.
  • With 50 billion parameters, Latam-GPT is comparable in scale to GPT-3.5, designed to perform complex tasks relevant to the region.

Why It Matters

The development of Latam-GPT represents a significant shift in the global AI landscape. Traditionally, AI development has been dominated by a handful of powerful corporations, often neglecting the unique needs and challenges of regions outside the West. This project demonstrates a critical effort to democratize AI, fostering technological independence and providing access to a sophisticated language model specifically adapted for Latin America. It's a powerful statement about the region's capacity for innovation and signals a potential surge in localized AI development. For professionals, this news highlights the growing importance of regional AI initiatives and the potential for collaborative innovation—a trend that will undoubtedly shape the future of AI research and application.

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