HTX’s expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to make an impact beyond public safety in Singapore, with the agency recently signing an agreement to become part of the MERaLiON consortium.
Launched in December 2024, MERaLiON is a multimodal large language model (MLLM) developed by A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR I2R) and supported by IMDA. The result of a national initiative to expand Singapore’s capabilities in AI research and innovation, MERaLiON has been trained on a wide range of languages, including English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese.
But the thing that makes MERaLiON stand out? Its ability to be empathetic and detect emotion and sound events, which isn’t something run-of-the-mill transcription models can handle.
A photo of some of the members of the MERaLiON consortium. (Photo: HTX/xData)
Hailed as a significant advancement in the realm of speech AI development, the MLLM will be pivotal to the creation of more intuitive and culturally aware AI applications for use in areas like customer service and marketing.
As a member of the consortium, which was formed to accelerate the adoption of MERaLiON, HTX will contribute to AI development in Southeast Asia region and bolster Singapore’s AI ecosystem. It will achieve this by working with A*STAR I2R to build AI applications that leverage the capabilities of MERaLiON.
(Clockwise from left) HTX Deputy Chief AI Officer Lim Kian Boon, xData Head of Cognitive Analytics Aloysius Tan, HTX Chief AI Officer Ang Chee Wee, xData Data Scientist Clarence Teo, xData Senior Data Scientist Rachel Tan and xData Engineer Natasha Koh at the launch of MERaLiON Consortium. (Photo: HTX/xData)
“HTX firmly believes that collaboration is key to unlocking greater levels of innovation, and we look forward to playing our part in driving AI development across the Southeast Asia region. We’re also excited to see how the bright minds from this consortium can help us further bolster efforts to augment Home Team operations to enhance the safety and security of Singapore,” said HTX Chief AI Officer and Assistant Chief Executive (Digital & Enterprise) Ang Chee Wee.
Other members of the consortium include industry heavyweights and major organisations the likes of Microsoft, ST Engineering, DBS Bank and National Supercomputing Centre Singapore.
As a member of the consortium, HTX will enjoy a slew of benefits, such as access to collective problem-solving through the MERaLiON team and its R&D partners, as well as regular updates on technological advancements and innovative use cases from consortium members.
HTX Chief AI Officer and Assistant Chief Executive (Digital & Enterprise) Ang Chee Wee (left, holding mic) speaks to members of the MERaLiON consortium. (Photo: HTX)
In line with HTX’s strategic focus on fostering collaborations with industry partners to empower the Home Team with science and technology, the agency will work with A*STAR I2R to develop MERaLiON-related technologies specifically for public safety use cases.
“HTX’s domain expertise in AI-driven public safety strengthens our shared mission to develop emotionally intelligent, culturally aware AI that can operate in multilingual, high-stakes environments. This partnership supports our goal of enhancing digital trust and reinforcing Singapore’s leadership in responsible, human-centric AI — starting with solutions that drive public confidence, operational efficiency and regional innovation for diverse communities across Southeast Asia,” said Dr Sun Sumei, Executive Director, A*STAR I2R.
