KUALA LUMPUR, March 17 — YTL AI Labs has collaborated with Nvidia to advance Malaysia’s sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, using Nvidia’s Nemotron open models.

In a statement today, the AI research and development unit under YTL Power International Bhd said the initiative has resulted in the development of the Ilmu-Nemo-30B.

It said Ilmu-Nemo-30B is a powerful new agentic model fine-tuned on Malaysian local datasets, achieving a significant 23 per cent improvement in MalayMMLU (massive multitask language understanding) benchmark scores. 

“The Ilmu-Nemo-30B model adds to the growing suite of Malaysian-built AI models, offering enhanced capabilities for complex, agentic tasks that require deep local understanding.

“The model was trained on local datasets hosted on the secure YTL AI Cloud,” it said, adding that the initiative strengthens Malaysia’s position to develop AI that is not only world-class but also intrinsically aligned with the nation’s cultural, linguistic, and ethical values.

The unit said that the Ilmu-Nemo-30B model is specifically designed to excel in understanding and generating content in Bahasa Melayu and local dialects.

It said the 23 per cent improvement on the MalayMMLU benchmark (a rigorous test of multi-domain knowledge in Malay) demonstrates the model’s superior ability to handle complex queries and tasks relevant to the Malaysian context, from public services to enterprise solutions.

“The Ilmu-Nemo-30B model complements the flagship multimodal Ilmu model, providing developers and enterprises with a wider range of tools to build sophisticated AI applications.

“Hosted on the YTL AI Cloud, it ensures data residency and security, making it an ideal choice for government and industry sectors with sensitive data requirements,” it added.

YTL Power International Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Yeoh Seok Hong said this initiative with Nvidia represents a significant leap in the company’s mission to build sovereign AI capability for Malaysia.

“By combining Nvidia AI technology with YTL’s deep local knowledge and national infrastructure, we are creating a powerful engine for innovation.

“The Ilmu-Nemo-30B model is a testament to what can be achieved when we align global strengths with national purpose, ensuring that the progress we make in AI is secure, inclusive, and rooted in our identity,” he said. 

YTL AI Labs chief executive officer Foong Chee Mun said the company’s journey with Ilmu is about continuous innovation. 

“We are providing Malaysian developers and businesses with access to state-of-the-art agentic models that are hyperlocalised for local needs.

“This is about giving them the tools to build smarter, more effective, and culturally resonant solutions that can compete on a global stage. We invite our partners to explore the new possibilities this model unlocks,” he said.  

Launched at the Asean AI Summit in August last year, Ilmu is Malaysia’s AI, built by Malaysians for Malaysians.  

Culturally attuned and globally competitive, Ilmu is built on a secure national infrastructure — enabling sovereign AI for Malaysia. 

The family of Ilmu models is available via application programming interfaces, with organisations such as Farben, J&C Pacific, and Swipey already integrating its capabilities into their applications. 

Ilmuchat — Malaysia’s conversational AI chat application — is also currently available in public beta and can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and Google Play. — Bernama