Meta has announced its intention to localize the Llama AI model for use in Uzbekistan, including integration into government websites and training specialists to work with open-source technologies.
According to the Ministry of Digital Technologies, Uzbekistan has proposed expanding cooperation with Meta in the field of artificial intelligence.
These discussions took place during a meeting with Senura Abeywardena, Meta’s representative for Central Asia, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The parties explored potential collaboration in AI development and online education initiatives.
During the meeting, First Deputy Minister Oleg Pekos highlighted the Lex AI chatbot, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Justice using the Llama model. This chatbot is designed to assist citizens in accessing public services and preparing official documents.
Plans for an upcoming event in collaboration with Nvidia were also shared, where 300 students from specialized universities in Uzbekistan are expected to participate. A similar initiative was proposed to be organized jointly with Meta.
Deputy Minister Rustam Karimjonov introduced the “1M AI Prompters” online education platform, set to launch in May, aiming to train one million AI creators. He suggested that Meta’s educational courses be hosted on this platform.
In response, Senura Abeywardena put forward an initiative to develop local data infrastructure to support AI training and adaptation for the Uzbek language. He referenced successful projects previously implemented in Taiwan and Kazakhstan.
Additionally, Meta expressed readiness to integrate the Llama model into government websites and to organize virtual training sessions involving Meta engineers. These sessions would focus on model training, fine-tuning, and enhancing expertise in working with open-source tools.
It is worth noting that the European Commission recently imposed fines of $570 million on Apple and $228 million on Meta for violations of antitrust regulations.
