$400 Million Funding Backs Free AI Supporting 22 Indian Languages

The nonprofit organization Current AI has obtained $400 million in funding to develop free, open artificial intelligence tools accessible to all users. Its efforts prioritize languages and communities that receive limited support from major commercial AI models.

Among its initiatives, Current AI is creating a compact device that operates offline and supports 22 Indian languages. Additionally, the organization is financing projects aimed at protecting African languages, preserving Arab cultural history, and safeguarding data from indigenous communities in the Amazon region.

According to a report on TechCrunch, Current AI secured financial commitments totaling $400 million. The French government contributed $100 million, joined by institutions such as the Ford Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, DeepMind, and Salesforce. The organization also partnered with the Indian government's language and AI department to develop an open-source device named Suno Sutra, which is pocket-sized and functions without internet connectivity.

Current AI allocated $3.2 million to support projects in Kenya, Lebanon, and the Brazilian Amazon. One initiative focuses on building databases for over 50 African languages to facilitate applications in health, agriculture, and education. Meanwhile, a Lebanese institute is converting materials related to Arab history and culture into data readable by AI systems, ensuring that control remains with the originating communities. The organization also supports offline tools for indigenous populations in the Amazon.