AI Sovereignty: Building Estonia’s Advanced Infrastructure

In the ever-evolving global race for artificial intelligence (AI), Estonia remains determined not to fall behind. The goal is not just to win but to excel in all essential areas of AI competency.

With the rise of augmented workforce, many critical service sectors struggle to process their data using traditional large language models (LLMs). Sensitive fields like healthcare, defense, and citizen data face challenges in this regard. The development of a precise and effective Estonian large language model could greatly benefit the society. However, due to Estonia’s small size, there is limited commercial motivation for external entities to undertake such a project. To safeguard the Estonian language amidst the rapid AI advancements and to create practical applications for everyday use, the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu is training an open-source language model to communicate fluently in Estonian and understand Estonian culture better. The model is being trained using the University of Tartu HPC Centre’s computer cluster.

Innovative enterprises with specific intellectual property and data security needs require clarity on legal and security frameworks. Estonia’s strategy revolves around investing in knowledge as the foundation of its solution. The decision to build the economy on new technologies and education post-independence has proven beneficial over the years.

The University of Tartu High Performance Computing Centre (UTHPC) benefits from being part of the top-ranked University of Tartu worldwide, offering a wide array of expertise, including AI. This environment fosters collaborations with leading researchers and practical training for students directly involved in cutting-edge HPC and AI operations.

Estonia’s approach focuses on building its own systems, with UTHPC evolving from basic compute cycles to a comprehensive service supporting research across all stages. Recent enhancements in GPU resources have accelerated the development of national and scientific AI solutions, complemented by a team of over 50 specialists actively engaged in cyber defense and innovation.

The establishment of the Estonian Scientific Computing Infrastructure (ETAIS) in 2011, led by the University of Tartu, has provided state-of-the-art computing resources to enhance competitiveness in science and industry. ETAIS serves as the national infrastructure provider for research and development, extending AI infrastructure services to the public sector and collaborating with international partners like the EuroHPC LUMI supercomputer.

UTHPC’s involvement in developing the Waldur portal simplifies access to complex computing resources, aligning with the EuroHPC Federation Platform. The Centre’s ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification underscores its commitment to data protection and security standards, ensuring operational excellence in all service domains.

Collaboration with ministries and initiatives like the Tiger Leap and AI Leap programs showcases Estonia’s commitment to digital innovation and education. These initiatives, combined with robust infrastructure and expertise, aim to empower professionals and society to harness AI technologies effectively and safely.

Please note, this article will also appear in the 25th edition of our quarterly publication.