15 May 2024
VEON and Beeline Kazakhstan Partner with GSMA and Barcelona Supercomputing Centre to Support Use of AI in Local Languages Baku and Barcelona, 15 May 2024: VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), a global digital operator that provides converged connectivity and online services, is delighted to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beeline Kazakhstan, the GSMA and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion (BSC-CNS) to explore collaboration on the development of artificial intelligence and language technologies for languages with low digital resources.
The parties will explore collaboration opportunities focusing on the development of mechanisms and documentation on language models and AI systems for under-resourced languages, including the local languages of the countries where VEON operates.
Director of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center Mateo Valero Cortes, Beeline Kazakhstan CEO Evgeny Nastradin, GSMA Chief Marketing Officer Lara Dewar and VEON Chief of Staff Hande Asik signed the MoU to explore collaboration in AI project in Baku, Azerbaijan and Barcelona, Spain.
The MoU was signed by the four parties during M360 Eurasia. The event, opening in Baku today, welcomes global connectivity leaders and policymakers for two days of discussion, debate and networking.
Out of nearly 7000 languages spoken around the globe, only seven are considered high-resource languages in the digital world: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Arabic, German and Japanese. The lack of resources in other languages results in an AI language gap which leads to sub-optimal user experience in AI applications, deepens the bias in AI models and risks deepening the digital divide in AI technologies.
Catalan is spoken by 10 million people, spread across various parts of Spain and other areas of Europe, such as Andorra and Alghero. For this reason, the BSC Language Technologies unit has as a priority generating digital resources to guarantee the presence of Catalan in the digital world, while making these resources useful for other languages with the same objective.
Operating in countries that are home to 7% of the global population that mostly speak under-sourced languages, VEON is committed to addressing the AI language gap by supporting the usage of low-resource languages in AI, starting with Kazakhstan where Beeline Kazakhstan's IT subsidiary QazCode already launched Kaz-RoBERTA-conversational - a Kazakh-language AI module supporting customer service in Beeline Kazakhstan's digital applications.
Artificial Intelligence is the next game changer in the history of technology, and it is in our hands to design and develop it in a way that promotes inclusion for all. Enabling low-resource languages to be a part of the world of AI empowers hundreds of millions of people around the globe by addressing the current shortcomings of the AI landscape. We are delighted to be the first operator group to partner with Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the GSMA to explore opportunities to raise to this challenge. said Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO of VEON.
Beeline Kazakhstan is the leading operator in AI technologies in the markets where VEON operates. Having previously developed AI-based solutions in Kazakh language, Beeline Kazakhstan and Qazcode are well aware of the challenges and opportunities that come with Kazakhstan's transformation into the age of AI. We are extremely excited to partner with Barcelona Supercomputing Center and the GSMA, bringing international experience to our journey of developing new use cases for Kazakh-language AI applications. said Evgeny Nastradin, CEO of Beeline Kazakhstan.
The development of artificial intelligence also generates gaps between languages. It is important to close them. For this reason, we are making our knowledge and resources available. The work through the Aina Alliance keeps growing and has allowed us to sign a strategic agreement with the GSMA. This is one more step for making our open-source AI expertise accessible to the international community. BSC has published a wide-range number of datasets and open-source models through the Aina project, leading the path into the open-source AI resources availability. said Mateo Valero Cortes, Director of the BSC-CNS.
The project with VEON and Beeline Kazakhstan is the first on our exciting journey with the BSC. We now call on industry to join us and work together to reduce the disparity in developing and applying AI technologies across different languages. This disparity exacerbates the AI language gap, and the challenges that come with it, including siloed innovation and widening the digital divide. The Aina Alliance aims to ensure that no language is left behind as the world advances into an increasingly AI-driven future. said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA.
Key to the partnership will be the GSMA Foundry innovation accelerator, an initiative that brings together mobile operators and the wider technology industry, to help members forge the digital future by rapidly developing real-world solutions to industry challenges.
Cooperation will take place within the scope of Aina Alliance, a collaboration between the Government of Catalonia and the GSMA, which builds on the Aina Project promoted and financed by the Government of Catalonia, and which seeks to support the presence of non-global languages in artificial intelligence models, enabling speakers of all languages to participate fully in the evolution of the digital world. VEON is the first pilot in the partnership, with the Aina Alliance now inviting other mobile operator partners and organisations to take part in addressing the AI Language gap through collaborative effort.
About Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomput
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
11/09/2026
RT has today announced Benetti Menswear as the sponsor of its 2026 Amgen Irish Open coverage for a sixth consecutive year, further strengthening the heritage c...
10/09/2026
Editing, restoration & mastering suite upgraded Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editing restoration mastering software.
Acon Digital have just launched the la...
10/09/2026
Classic synths & drum machines available to play
Based in Reading, UK, Readipop are a music and arts charity with a long track record of innovative, partici...
10/09/2026
Popular model updated & new addition introduced
With many of the models in Neumann's KH family now boasting onboard DSP and support for the company'...
10/09/2026
Improved desktop interface announced
The latest iteration of Arturia's flagship desktop audio interface has just arrived, introducing improved preamps, ...
10/09/2026
Progress needs proof: Rohde & Schwarz showcases its trailblazing test solutions ...
10/09/2026
The beloved duo are back with big challenges and even bigger laughs as they discover if you're ever truly too old to try something new.
Previous praise for...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky News Defence Insider app launches as new researc...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Award-winning network Sky Mobile to offer Apple iPho...
10/09/2026
Thursday 10 September 2026
Sky unveils gripping teaser for The Good Daughter, coming this NovemberTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options a...
10/09/2026
Harmonic Leads the New Era of Broadband Connectivity at SCTE TechExpo 2026 Showcase Spotlights Include:
New cOS SensAI intelligence fabric unleashing data-pow...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
Chennai/Luxembourg, 9 September 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, today announced the inauguration of its new office in Chennai, India, marking a s...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
08/09/2026
BERLIN, September 8, 2026 - J nger Audio will introduce a major expansion of its flexAI audio processing platform at IBC 2026. The flexAI system adds autonomous...
08/09/2026
New Vendor-Agnostic Broadband Intelligence Fabric Reduces Operational Complexity and Improves Service Quality for Broadband Service Providers SAN JOSE, Calif. -...
08/09/2026
Arvato Systems Brings TI Expertise to the Stage
Panels, workshops, and real-world examples at the TI-SUMMIT 2026
Arvato Systems, a partner of the TI-SUMMIT 2...
08/09/2026
On October 1, Apple Arcade is rolling out a lineup of fun new games for players ...
07/09/2026
Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced
HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...
07/09/2026
Answering questions about AI in game audio
GameSoundCon, the largest professional conference for video game music and sound design, have announced that they...
07/09/2026
New directional headset mic on show at IBC
Just ahead of this week's IBC show, DPA have announced the launch of a new directional headset that's bee...
07/09/2026
We are not building systems to replace human decision-making; we are building systems that execute our decisions at machine speed. The media companies that win ...
07/09/2026
Every day, we rely on products to work safely, from the power bank in your bag to the solar panels on rooftops. Behind that trust is a process called conformity...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Freddie Meredith joins cast of SNL UK ahead of start of Season 2
Freddie Meredith Images
ZIP (3MB)
Saturday Night Live UK announces ...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky and NFTS team up to launch new routes into screen careers
Sky has today announced a new apprenticeship programme, with application...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky Sports announces most comprehensive NFL coverage to...
07/09/2026
Dolby, MainConcept, Techex and J nger Audio will showcase the industry's first demonstration of Serial Audio Definition Model (S-ADM) in a cloud-based produ...
07/09/2026
dB Broadcast will showcase APIS Hive, its software platform for designing, deploying and managing modern broadcast infrastructures, at IBC 2026.
Developed from...
07/09/2026
552,000 streams on RT Player
The historic fight, which saw Katie Taylor become...
15 May 2024
