National Dong Hwa University (NDHU) yesterday unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI)-based administrative assistant created in collaboration with Taiwan AI Labs.
Taiwan AI Labs founder Ethan Tu (杜奕瑾) told a news conference in Taipei that his company worked with a research team at the university to craft an algorithm capable of consistently creating factual and properly localized content.
FedGPT, the proprietary platform of Taiwan AI Labs used by the university, was part of the nation’s sovereign AI initiative, he said.
Photo: Wu Po-hsuan, Taipei Times
This large language model emphasized utilizing verified sources and traditional Chinese texts originating in Taiwan, he said.
Foreign-based models are usually trained on English or simplified Chinese content, resulting in the generation of unreliable or inappropriate information for users in Taiwan, he said.
The Taiwan AI Federation Learning Alliance supported FedGPT by furnishing 100 billion tokens of text-based data and certifications for the algorithm’s trustworthiness, he said.
A domestic model is necessary, as users searching the university on foreign-based platforms would usually be led to information about the Shanghai-based Donghua University, NDHU president Hsu Hui-ming (徐輝明) said.
The university selected the off-cloud FedGPT to serve as the basis of the virtual administrative assistant program to retain control of the data and match the university’s research and development capabilities, he said.
The virtual assistant’s demonstration at the news conference showed that it could answer questions about the topography and fauna of the campus, popular dating locations, procedures for paperwork, and counseling resources for students.
The chatbot was trained on more than 5,000 documents in the university’s possession over six months, and its ability to give information about getting health insurance to international students alone could save 125 workdays per semester, university officials said.
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