Doha: Executive Director of the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University Dr. Ahmad Al Magarmid emphasized the importance of launching the next-generation (second) version of the Fanar platform, considering it a significant milestone in the development of sovereign artificial intelligence models in the region.
According to Qatar News Agency, the updated release of Fanar 2.0 was launched today during the opening of the second Global Artificial Intelligence Summit in Doha. The platform represents the generative Arabic language AI model developed by QCRI.
Dr. Al Magarmid told QNA that what most distinguishes the Fanar platform is that it is a national, sovereign model that guarantees the highest levels of privacy and data protection, unlike many global models, which may be more powerful, but do not provide a closed environment that ensures data is not shared or circulated beyond the user.
He noted that the platform allows organizations to run the model within a fully closed ecosystem, which enhances trust and enables the use of AI without exposing sensitive data to risk. He added that the new version of Fanar also features deep focus on the Arabic language in all its dialects, making it more suitable for the needs of Arab users, while also respecting cultural norms and societal values so that responses remain aligned with local traditions and identity.
He pointed out that QCRI includes more than 100 engineers and researchers working across various AI disciplines, including AI-driven cybersecurity, data protection, secure language models, Arabic language processing, translation, speech-to-text technologies, in addition to educational and healthcare applications.
It is noteworthy that the first version of the Fanar platform was launched in December of last year as a national achievement reflecting the State of Qatar's commitment to strengthening the presence of the Arabic and Islamic language and culture in the age of artificial intelligence.
The platform is considered a one-of-a-kind model, developed to provide deep and comprehensive understanding of the Arabic language in all its dimensions, including diverse dialects and cultural terminology. It is built on a massive dataset containing more than 300 billion words and over one trillion Arabic phonetic segments, giving it exceptional capability in natural-language processing with high precision. It is also equipped with advanced technical architecture containing seven billion parameters, enabling superior flexibility, speed, and performance in storing and processing information.