4th Languages Summit: Bringing Southeast Asia’s Languages to the forefront of AI

ByAISG | AI Products

On 23 April 2025, AI Singapore and Google co-hosted the fourth Language Summit at Google Singapore, bringing together over 80 policymakers, researchers, industry experts, and community leaders from across Southeast Asia and beyond.

Unveiling Project Aquarium 

At this summit, we were excited to unveil Aquarium (Beta), a collaborative brainchild of AI Singapore, Google, and Project SEALD partners. This isn’t just a database; it’s a dynamic hub designed to empower the region to overcome language data scarcity. Summit attendees were among the first to explore the beta platform, engaging in lively discussions on collaborative contributions and brainstorming enhanced features to drive real-world applications.

Interested in contributing or learning more about Aquarium? Contact us at seald@aisingapore.org. 

Performance benchmarking & safety for SEA

AI Singapore highlighted the current limitations of English-based safeguards in addressing Southeast Asia’s diverse context. To address this, they showcased a new multilingual benchmark, ‘SEA-Safeguard’ designed to detect and classify safety risks in AI-generated outputs, grounded in regional norms.

Sharing successes and challenges: A global perspective 

  • Google offered a glimpse into the future of language AI, sharing their novel techniques for efficient cross-lingual model adaptation and the impressive multimodal capabilities of the newly launched Gemma 3 family of models.
  • Regional collaborators including Google.org, ASEAN Foundation, ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance, KORIKA and GoTo shared the importance of AI in use cases ranging from agriculture to disaster relief, along with how they were driving the innovation of AI in their ecosystems. 

Breakout sessions for Aquarium

Attendees actively shaped the future of Aquarium through interactive breakout sessions, focusing on accessibility, contribution pathways, and essential frameworks for benchmarking and data organization. Special thanks to our breakout group leads – Prof Regina Maria Estuar, Peter Mattson, Prof Sarana Nunatong, Kasima Tharnpipitchai, Prof Ayu Purwarianti and Koo Ping Shung. 

Summit Attendees

The 4th Language Summit proudly hosted a dynamic and passionate cohort of experts and community leaders.

  • AI Forum: Siriwat Chhem
  • ASEAN Foundation: Ilan Asqolani, Diera Gala Paksi
  • Ateneo de Manila:  Regina Maria Estuar 
  • CAIR: Jose Marie Minoza
  • Data Science Singapore: Koo Ping Shung
  • De La Salle: Charibeth
  • GoTo: Ofir Shalev
  • Infocomm Media Development of Authority: Jessie Cai, Valerie Ng
  • ITB: Ayu Purwarianti
  • KBTG:  Tawunrat Chalothorn, Monchai Lertsutthiwong
  • KORIKA:  Hammam Riza
  • Monash University: Derry Wijaya
  • National AI Office Malaysia: Mohd AlHafidz
  • NECTEC: Thepchai Supnithi
  • SEACrowd: Alham Fikri Aji
  • SCB10X:  Kasima Tharnpipitchai, Kunat Pipatanakul, Pittawat Taveekitworachai
  • Vistec: Sarana Nunatong, Panuthep Tasawong
  • Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State, Nigeria: Olatunbosun Tojuola Alake, Hassan Akeem Seun
  • Ministry of Business Innovation and Technology, Nigeria: Fakai Patience Bakasa, Bello Musa
  • Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Nigeria: Yusuf Ibrahim Kofarmata, Abba Adamu Danguguwa
  • Data Science Nigeria: Olubayo Augustus Adekanmb, Uche Edwin Uche. Chinazo Marykyrian Anebelundu, Sikiru Rashidat Damilola, Anthony Chukwuebuka Soronnadi, Anjuwon Ololade Joseph, Lawal Olanrewaju Israel
  • Gates Foundation: Olubunmi Okunowo

A huge thank you to all attendees for your enthusiastic participation at the summit! Your invaluable contributions are driving us toward a more represented AI for Southeast Asia.

Let’s write more stories together
Join us on our quest to increase representation in Southeast Asia! Dive into the Project SEALD webpage to uncover further details on this groundbreaking initiative and find out how you can play a part. Let us unite to create AI that truly mirrors the rich diversity and vibrant cultures of our region. If you are interested in participating in the next Language Summit, please contact us here. See you then!