Singapore-based generative artificial intelligence (AI) start-up TAU Intelligence has collaborated with Hong Kong-based conglomerate Jardine Matheson and United States-based technology firm Intel to launch resource-efficient AI solutions.
TAU Intelligence said in a statement last Thursday that the strategic collaboration aims to enhance the application of generative AI by launching two pioneering proofs-of-concept (PoCs) for Jardines, focusing on legal contract review and customer service.
According to the statement, TAU Intelligence uses a moderate-sized Large Language Model (LLM), which is then customized with on-premises fine-tuning by the Jardines team.
This approach sets this collaboration apart from the prevailing approach favored in many other projects exploring similar use cases for AI.
Importantly, this method ensures that data is not used for training or retained by the provider of the underlying
LLM.
It is noted that preliminary results reveal that this approach not only maintains high levels of accuracy and output quality in terms of reviewing and analyzing legal contract provisions and common user queries, but also offers significant resource efficiency in terms of energy usage and computing power.
Since 2022, TAU’s extensive research and development efforts have underscored the challenges posed by large LLMs, particularly their high costs, data security concerns, and environmental impact.
Other studies indicate that popular LLMs consume 15 times more energy than a typical web search, raising environmental concerns.
TAU’s strategy of using smaller and domain-specific LLMs that operate locally within a company’s own environment, addresses these issues, ensuring resource-efficient AI and data sovereignty.
The solutions developed within this collaboration will be tested on Intel’s next-generation Xeon® processors for data centers, cloud, and edge workloads.
The collaboration will leverage the Intel Xeon® processors to deliver significant advancements in performance with industry-leading Intel accelerator engines and improved performance per watt across key workloads like AI, data analytics, high-performance computing (HPC), and others.
“The approach on these PoCs is distinct from the current trend where LLMs are rapidly expanding in size and consumption of energy and computing power,
“By focusing on domain-specific knowledge, we can fine-tune AI models in order to deploy smaller LLMs in a safe manner, mitigating the problem of hallucination and ensuring the responsible use of AI,” said Professor Lam Kwok Yan, Co-founder of TAU Intelligence and a renowned AI Safety researcher based in Singapore.
According to him, the collaboration with Jardines signifies a focus on the development of responsible and resource-efficient AI solutions by companies, setting a benchmark for innovation and sustainability in the AI industry.
Anne O’Riordan, Group Digital Director at Jardine Matheson, said this collaboration highlights Jardines’ ongoing efforts to develop, test, and deploy AI to position their businesses for the future.
“These PoCs tackle real business challenges, enhancing operations by combining high-quality output with resource efficiency – while ensuring the security of our proprietary data,
“We’re excited to see the results of this engagement and by the potential for future collaboration,” she added.
John Koshy, Head of Group Legal Affairs at Jardine Matheson who is leading Jardines’ legal contract review PoC, said TAU Intelligence has a proven track record in deploying impactful AI solutions for key institutions
within the region.
“Its experience in AI safety and dedication to fostering responsible AI strongly align with Jardines’ core pillars of innovation and sustainability,” he added.