VEON looks to local language LLM creation for revenue growth

News The operator already has a Kazakh language LLM and is developing additional capabilities in Uzbek, Begali, Ukrainian, and Urdu Speaking at Mobile World Congress this year, VEON’s chief digital officer Lasha Tabidze was adamant that telcos’ primary AI focus should be on service creation, not cost efficiencies. “Gaining efficiency is important, of course, and shame on us if we don’t pursue that,” he said. “But AI is not a cost-cutting machine. For us, AI is for growth.” Perhaps the clearest place we can see this mindset in action is in VEON’s work towards creating its own large language models (LLMs), focus on the languages of its operating markets that are often overlooked by the major AI players. “There is a big misconception around using LLMs that everyone speaks English and can prompt effectively in English. That simply isn’t true,” Tabidze explained. “There are thousands of languages in the world, but there are only seven that are fully resourced [with public online data], so these are the ones the big players are fine tuning. Less-resourced languages are not getting the attention they deserve.” VEON launched a Kazakh language LLM in December last year, having worked on the project for just 8 months. Now, Tabidze says the company is looking to replicate this success across all its markets, building LLMs in the Uzbek, Begali, Ukrainian, and Urdu languages. Once completed, these LLMs can be integrated into a range of digital products, from entertainment to healthcare. “Our primary responsibility is to create local language models to support local communities and economies,” said Tabidze. “AI should be an equaliser for society.” “Telecoms are the biggest digital distributors in the world. If we can create these local LLMs and bring them to communities – while keeping in mind that they should be affordable – we can make AI the equaliser that narrows the digital divide. Not just a product for premium users.” VEON’s holistic approach to digital services is already bearing fruit. In Q3 2024, VEON’s digital service revenue was $121 million – roughly 12% of the company’s topline. Keep up to date with the latest international telecoms news by subscribing to the Total Telecom newsletter Also in the news: Navigating the depths: Strategies for delivering successful subsea cable projects Vodafone–Three reveals leadership team French energy giant EDF offers up land for data centre projects