Sovereign Australia AI launches to bring LLM creation onshore

Australian AI venture Sovereign Australia AI has launched, aiming to build a sovereign capability to create Large Language Models (LLMs) that are of a size that is on par with many foreign frontier models.

Sovereign Australia AI has earmarked a minimum of AU$10M to source copyrighted materials as needed for its models.

The company’s mission is to create AI models that are Australian owned, Australian controlled, and trained with ethically sourced datasets.

Its upcoming Ginan and Australis models are designed to reflect the culture, language, and principles of the nation, as well as to "provide an alternative to offshore systems that may embed foreign values and biases".

The company will openly provide visibility of the data used to train its models and open source the Ginan research model for free public use.

In partnership with Sharon AI, Sovereign Australia AI has also placed what they say is Australia's largest-ever order for sovereign AI capacity – 256 of the latest Nvidia Blackwell B200 GPUs.

The hardware will be hosted in secure, Australian-based data centres operated by NEXTDC, ensuring data sovereignty and compliance with Australian privacy and security standards.

Sovereign Australia AI has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

Under the agreement, Sovereign Australia AI will develop a bespoke AI capability for ACS, Australia’s peak professional body for the ICT sector.

Sovereign Australia AI was founded by Troy Neilson and Simon Kriss.

Neilson was previously CEO, and before that chief AI officer, of Yarta, a financial company in the agricultural space. Prior to this, he served as head of data and AI at Telstra Purple.

Kriss is an AI strategist who has advised large corporates, government bodies and the United Nations on aligning AI technology with commercial and policy objectives.

Adding to its leadership, Sovereign Australia AI has welcomed Annette Kimmet AM, former CEO of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission, to its board.

Kriss said the launch marks a critical step towards securing Australia’s digital future.

“We are already seeing how AI is shaping the way people think, work and engage with information. If the foundational AI models Australians rely on are built offshore, we risk losing control over how our national values are represented," he said.

“Sovereign Australia AI will ensure we have a homegrown alternative that is ethical, transparent, and built for trust. We believe, as an industry, we must define what we mean when we say “Ethical AI” - simply saying you are ethical is not enough.”

Neilson said the focus is on sovereignty and trust rather than competition.

“Building sovereign AI capabilities here at home is a significant technological challenge, but we have the expertise in Australia to get the job done,” he said.

“We are not trying to directly compete with ChatGPT or other global models, because we don’t need to. Instead, we are creating our own foundational models that will serve as viable alternatives that better capture the Australian voice.

"There are many public and private organisations in Australia who will greatly benefit from a truly sovereign AI solution, but do not want to sacrifice real-world performance. Our Ginan and Australis models will fill that gap with a capable, ethical alternative.”