Latin American AI Model Latam-GPT To Launch In September - 1

Photo by Juan Pablo Ahumada on Unsplash

Latin American AI Model Latam-GPT To Launch In September

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The developers of Latam-GPT announced this Tuesday that they will launch the first artificial intelligence large language model focused on Latin American culture in September. The AI system will be able to understand linguistic nuances and cultural differences.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Latam-GPT will launch in September and will understand linguistic nuances and cultural differences in Latin America.
  • The project is open-source and led by Chile’s CENIA with support from 30 regional organizations.
  • It is based on Meta’s Llama 3 and trained using regional technology.

According to Reuters , the AI project is open-source and led by the Chilean institution National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), in collaboration with 30 other organizations in the region.

The AI system is based on Meta’s Llama 3 —the tech giant’s open-source large language model released last year—and has been trained on regional, cloud-based systems and networks, such as Chile’s University of Tarapaca.

The Chilean Science Minister Aisén Etcheverry envisions this project as “a democratizing element for AI” that could be applied in hospitals and schools. The model is expected to understand and preserve indigenous languages such as Rapa Nui, Easter Island’s native language, for which a translator has already been developed.

The project, announced in January 2023, aims to provide the populations in Latin America access to personalized education systems and public services in their native languages.

CENIA’s head, Alvaro Soto, expects that once they can demonstrate the technology’s capabilities, more funding will follow.

According to the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia , the new artificial intelligence model is born to strengthen diversity and differentiate itself from the advanced models developed in the northern hemisphere, which focus on the English language and dominant cultures.

“Unlike what has been done in any other part of the world, this model has studied everything relevant to Latin America,” said Álvaro Soto, director of the CENIA. “It has read everything it could about our history, politics, economy, and our most ancestral culture, and that gives it a distinctive mark.”

At the moment, 12 countries are involved in the project, and organizers hope more nations and institutions will join. They expect to keep the project open source and for it to serve as a platform for entrepreneurs and organizations to develop new technologies in the region.

“The idea is that, based on this model, different actors and entrepreneurs in our region will be able to build specific applications that we can use, for example, in our schools or justice systems,” explained Soto.

New Social App ‘Own’ Lets Anyone Earn From Content - 2

TikTok-Alternative-Offers-Fairer-Pay-To-Creators

New Social App ‘Own’ Lets Anyone Earn From Content

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

The decentralized social media platform Own has entered public beta testing, just before TikTok must divest from the United States market.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Own is a decentralized social media app using blockchain-based token rewards.
  • $OWN tokens are rewarded based on content engagement.
  • Creators keep up to 95% of their earnings on the platform.

The platform promises that this platform can generate money through blockchain tokens, regardless of their location or number of followers, as first reported by TechCrunch (TC).

Developed by Amir Kaltak (CEO), Katia Zaitsev (COO), and Sarah Mick (CCO), Own blends features like short videos, images, and text posts with tools such as direct messaging and an upvote-based ranking system. But what sets Own apart is its token-based rewards and low platform fees, says TC.

Creators are paid in $OWN Tokens, which are distributed based on user engagement. “Most creators around the world don’t have access to monetization on major social platforms simply because of their location. With Own, we’ve built a system that levels the playing field,” Kaltak said to TC.

The platform offers creators a substantial earnings distribution through its payment system, where tips yield 80%, brand sponsorships and licensed content pay 90%, and sales in Own Shop generate 95%. The Base Layer 2 blockchain operates the app’s transactions to safeguard content rights while verifying ownership, reports TC.

“Without higher platform support and higher expectations of app ability for these creators, you’re ultimately doing a disservice to their loyal fans,” Mick said to TC.

Users can download the app for free through both iOS and Android platforms. The platform will introduce monetization tools during Q3, followed by the beta launch of Own Shop throughout this year, reports TC.

The startup has secured $5 million from major investors, including Sarah Mick and Transform Ventures, while building a user base of 40,000 people who are waiting for the platform, as noted by TC.

The emerging social media platform Own enters the market as a new player in the expanding movement to provide fair and worldwide creator compensation. Own also reflects a broader trend identified by analysts such as Yanis Varoufakis, who argue that economic value is increasingly generated within centralized digital platforms.

In this context, Own positions itself as an alternative by using blockchain to decentralize content ownership and earnings. Rather than relying on traditional platform-driven monetization models, it offers users more direct control over how their content is distributed, licensed, and monetized across the app.