Bulgaria Leads Europe with First State-Supported AI Language Model

Bulgaria has become the first country in Europe to launch its own artificial intelligence (AI) language model, made freely available and supported by the state. The initiative, led by the Institute for Artificial Intelligence INSAIT, part of Sofia University, marks a major milestone. INSAIT has received significant state funding, totaling hundreds of millions of leva over the past four years.

The Bulgarian AI language model, known as BgGPT, is now accessible to public administrations, private companies, and state institutions. Previously in a testing phase, it is now officially operational. According to Professor Martin Vechev, the technology stands at a global level in terms of processing the Bulgarian language, surpassing even international platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT in handling native Bulgarian speech.

"This achievement positions Bulgaria as a leader in Europe, offering a world-class AI language model specifically tailored for Bulgarian," Professor Vechev stated at a press conference at Sofia University. He emphasized that the model's applications span various sectors, including science, education, healthcare, administration, and content creation. Importantly, the model ensures that data remains stored and processed domestically, a strategic advantage for maintaining data security and technological independence.

Vechev also noted that many European countries are heavily investing in similar projects, spending hundreds of millions of euros to develop their own AI systems. For Bulgaria, BgGPT eliminates reliance on foreign AI models, reducing risks related to external influence or inaccuracies in data interpretation. This also helps safeguard the purity and integrity of the Bulgarian language.

The public launch of BgGPT...