The initiative is part of Poland’s effort to strengthen digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
"PLLuM is a trusted model designed to enhance Poland’s digital independence," Gawkowski said at a press conference on Monday.
"If we only rely on foreign, primarily American, corporations, we risk losing control over our technological future," he added.
PLLuM, developed under the supervision of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, has been released on the Hugging Face platform in 18 different versions.
These models range in complexity, using between 8 billion and 70 billion parameters, according to Deputy Digital Affairs Minister Dariusz Standerski.
In AI models, parameters function like tuning dials that help the system understand and generate language.
The more parameters a model has, the better it can recognize patterns and produce accurate responses, but it also requires more computing power to operate.
PLLuM's 8 to 70 billion parameters place it in the range of competitive mid-to-large-scale AI models.
While it does not reach the size of the largest proprietary models from OpenAI, Google or Anthropic, it is still a significant AI system, especially for a national initiative focused on Polish-language applications.
The model comes in both commercial and non-commercial (research-focused) versions.
"The larger the model, the more capable it is, but it also requires more computational resources," explained Jan Kocoń, the scientific director of the project.
"Commercial versions might be slightly less advanced but can be customized by businesses to fit their needs," Kocoń said.
PLLuM is built using proprietary Polish-language datasets, drawing on a corpus of over 100 billion words. It is specifically tailored to the nuances of the Polish language and public administration terminology, the project team emphasized.
The model can be tested online at pllum.clarin-pl.eu.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs also announced the establishment of a new consortium, HIVE, which will oversee the deployment of AI models in Polish public services.
The consortium will integrate PLLuM into the government’s digital services platform, mObywatel, and implement AI-driven virtual assistants in government offices to streamline bureaucracy and improve efficiency.
The state-run Center for Information Technology (COI) and Cyfronet AGH, which operates Poland’s fastest supercomputer, will join HIVE.
The new consortium will be led by the NASK National Research Institute, a Polish state-owned research and development organization specializing in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, Standerski said.
The Polish government is increasing funding for the initiative, raising its budget from PLN 14 million (USD 3.5 million) in 2024 to PLN 19 million (USD 4.7 million) in 2025.
Officials highlighted that PLLuM’s training data was obtained ethically, using licensed texts and legally available sources under Polish and European Union copyright regulations.
The model’s development began in February last year, with training running from June to September. Further refinements took place in October and November.
The Ministry of Digital Affairs sees PLLuM as a step toward strengthening Poland’s position in the global AI sector, fostering innovation and driving economic growth through AI-based products and startups.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP