Sofia, Nov 19 (IANS): Bulgaria has become the first European Union (EU) country to launch state-funded, world-class artificial intelligence (AI) technology designed specifically for its native language, officials announced Tuesday.

The Sofia-based Institute for Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence and Technology (INSAIT) unveiled three AI models for the Bulgarian language, showcasing advanced capabilities in a special ceremony.

"This is a world-class achievement that highlights the strength of Bulgarian science," said caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, noting the technology supports the preservation of the Bulgarian language.

Education Minister Galin Tsokov highlighted potential applications, including personalized education, scientific research, and streamlining administrative tasks, Xinhua news agency reported.

INSAIT stated that its models, built on Google's Gemma 2 framework, include 2.6 billion, 9 billion, and 27 billion parameter variants. These models excel in Bulgarian language tasks while maintaining strong English capabilities, thanks to innovative fine-tuning and pre-training on 100 billion Bulgarian-language tokens.

"The result is proof that a country can develop cutting-edge AI using open models, advanced research, and tailored training techniques," said Martin Vechev, INSAIT's scientific director.

Freely accessible to institutions and businesses, these models aim to foster AI-based tools and assistants, underscoring Bulgaria's leadership in this specialised field.