The first Bulgarian artificial intelligence becomes available on the 3rd of March

On the 24th of January the Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology INSAIT at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” presented its latest feat – BgGPT, the first open large artificial intelligence (AI) language model in Bulgaria.

This innovative model, created specifically for the Bulgarian audience, is part of INSAIT’s strategy to develop AI accessible to the public. Trained on over 3 billion sentences and containing 7 billion parameters, BgGPT promises to open the door to applications and solutions that support Bulgarian education, business, healthcare and public administration.

The next chapter in this technology tale begins on March 3.  Pre-registration is still active and priority will be given to scientific, educational, public and business organizations.

“Economies will evolve in a competition of those using AI-based platforms and those that do not,” said Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov at the launch of BgGPT. “It is time for innovation that will define the future of our country.”

“In recent times, we have witnessed intense progress in the field of artificial intelligence, which is forming a new structure of the global economy. This epochal moment not only underscores the competition between leading countries, but also heralds a divide between economies that successfully integrate AI into their platforms and those that ignore it.”

In his speech, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov expressed the belief that the key to success will be the extent to which countries are able to integrate and develop such technologies. He stressed the importance of the national platform, which Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” presented – BgGPT.

Denkov called for innovation and thanked the partners from Zurich, Lausanne Polytechnic and the Swiss government for the cooperation that led to this successful project. In his speech, he praised SU for developing its own technology, stressing the advantages of such an approach over using foreign technology. The participation of the Minister of Education and Science Prof. Galin Tsokov, the Rector of SU prof. Georgi Valchev, prof. Martin Vechev and Eng. Borislav Petrov added extra weight to the presentation of BgGPT, which is a key point in the development of the Bulgarian technological scene.