“The network is initial proof of the strength of New Nordics AI and the center’s value for AI development in the region,” says Mikael Ljungblom, Interim Managing Director at New Nordics AI.

The Nordic LLM network is an attempt to address a common challenge facing the region. Currently, there is a lack of transparency regarding how large-scale language models are developed and what data they are trained on. This creates a risk that smaller linguistic regions could be marginalized, or that linguistic variation might be represented in a skewed or distorted manner.

“This is a critical mission for New Nordics AI. The Nordic languages are a core part of our cultural community, and we must be proactive to secure their relevance and vitality in the AI systems of the future. Through this network, we are taking a concerted approach to building transparent and inclusive AI development that reflects the Nordic reality,” says Mikael Ljungblom, Interim Managing Director at New Nordics AI.

Leading this network is one of the first major assignments for New Nordics AI, highlighting the center's key coordinating role and demonstrating its capacity to provide immediate value as envisioned. This new initiative joins other significant projects already announced by the center, including the AI Act Implementation Network and the AI & Energy project.

Funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers

To support this important work, the initiative is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. New Nordics AI received additional funding to intensify the work on the network following a decision by the Nordic ministers of culture during a meeting in Stockholm on October 29.

“This is an important step to ensure our languages can live on and evolve with new technology," says Mari-Leena Talvitie, Minister of Science and Culture of Finland. "By gathering experts from across the Nordic region, we can collectively take responsibility for how our languages are used and represented in the digital tools of the future”.

The network is also expected to identify the need for further collaboration and initiatives, which could pave the way for future investments in Nordic language models.

You can read more about the project and how to engage in the network here.