Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, has launched its own generative artificial intelligence tool called GigaChat. The tool is designed to rival Microsoft-backed ChatGPT and Google’s Bard and is currently in an invite-only testing phase. According to Sberbank, GigaChat uses multimodal neural network technology, which allows it to answer user questions, engage in conversation, write software code, and create texts and images based on a single context. The tool is particularly designed to support multimodal interaction and is reportedly better trained in the Russian language than its rivals.
Sberbank’s GigaChat is considered a breakthrough for the whole universe of Russian technologies, according to Herman Gref, the bank’s president and chairman of the board. He added that GigaChat’s unique open architecture sets it apart from other global AI models that stick to a closed AI principle. The tool is not just for mass users who like to experiment with innovation, but can also be employed by students and scholars for research papers, Gref said.
The global generative AI market is expected to reach $188.62 billion by 2032, growing at an annual rate of more than 36%, from $8.65 billion last year, according to market research company Brainy Insights. While Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI have already made significant strides in the generative AI market, Sberbank’s GigaChat is poised to make its own impact with its unique features and capabilities. The neural network has been trained on Christofari Neo, the second supercomputer of Sberbank launched in November 2021, and a number of experts have been engaged to ensure GigaChat has specific skills for the correct execution of instructions with full accuracy.
