Giuseppe Barile
Dec 9, 2024
An advanced language model that speaks Italian and looks to the future.
In less than five months, the research team at La Sapienza University has taken a new step forward with Minerva 7B, the most advanced version of the first entirely Italian large language model (LLM). Born within the FAIR Project and supported by CINECA's Leonardo supercomputer, Minerva 7B is a model trained on 1.5 trillion words and based on 7 billion parameters, a result that marks a significant advance compared to its predecessor.
This project stands out for its goal of creating an open, transparent artificial intelligence that is deeply rooted in Italian culture. The aim is to offer a technology that reflects local values and that can be managed without depending on large global technology giants. Minerva is not just a tool but a declaration of technological independence: an AI designed to adapt to the needs of our country, trained on native Italian data and developed with advanced methodologies such as instruction tuning. This approach allows the model to better understand the context of requests and generate relevant and coherent answers, reducing errors or inappropriate content.
Security has been further enhanced with the introduction of over 20,000 targeted instructions, which guarantee ethically correct responses and suitability for dialogue in Italian. Minerva is now able to avoid discriminatory or harmful statements, maintaining a high level of robustness and reliability while being aware of the challenges that all AI systems face.
Minerva’s ultimate goal goes beyond technology. The project aims to form a new ecosystem of skills, creating an AI model that not only responds but also becomes a reference for research, education and practical applications. Available to the public at minerva-llm.org , Minerva 7B is ready for testing, during which it will continue to improve through interaction with users.
Italy, with Minerva, aims to be a protagonist in the field of artificial intelligence, not only using this technology but building it with a unique vision and culture.