For SEA, by SEA
We are a community dedicated to bridging the gap between multilingual AI and Southeast Asian AI and enhancing the quality of AI research and researchers in the region.
See what indigenous and non-indigenous languages are under our study.
Following the success of our SEACrowd project, we’re excited to announce SEA-VL, a new open-source initiative to create high-quality vision-language datasets specifically for Southeast Asian (SEA) languages! We’re calling on contributors to help us build a SEA-specific vision-language model.
Phase 2’s preparation is still underway. Stay tuned on our Discord for updates! Open contribution is estimated to start from April/May 2025.
SEA-VL is a big initiative, so we have decided to split it into two phases. In Phase 1 of SEA-VL, we’re looking for self-taken, culturally-relevant images with descriptions about the shared image. This will be cleaned and compiled into a comprehensive open-access SEA-relevant image dataset. This dataset will serve as the foundation for Phase 2, where we’ll develop instruction-tuning VL datasets and build a SEA-specific vision language model (VLM) using the constructed dataset.
SIGSEA aims to change that by promoting research, collaboration, and sharing updates on Southeast Asian NLP. This way, in the future, we also can hold our own SEA workshops & events in ACL conferences! 💪
We’re collecting expressions of interest for membership. As a member, you’ll receive regular updates on research, events, and opportunities in the region.
Everyone can join (no need for ACL membership). Sign up today to join SIGSEA via this form! 🫶
Update (25/11/2024): SIGSEA got approved by ACL! Visit our website.
On-going since 08/2024.
This program targets early-career AI enthusiasts from underserved Southeast Asian communities, who are looking to gain their first substantial research experience. Many face challenges such as limited access to research tools, mentorship, and AI developments.
Our program addresses these gaps by providing research problems for participants to solve in small teams, guided by experienced mentors. Through hands-on projects and learning key concepts, participants work toward writing a publication for top AI conferences like ACL. The program also emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, and academic writing to prepare participants for success in AI research.
March 14, 2025
We’re excited to announce a major milestone from the SEACrowd team—the launch of SEA-VL, the largest open-source vision-language (VL) dataset specifically designed to represent the cultural diversity of Southeast Asia 🇧🇳🇰🇭🇹🇱🇮🇩🇱🇦🇲🇾🇲🇲🇵🇭🇸🇬🇹🇭🇻🇳.
November 9, 2024
Following the success of our SEACrowd project, we’re excited to announce SEA-VL, a new open-source initiative to create high-quality vision-language datasets specifically for Southeast Asian (SEA) languages! We’re calling on contributors to help us build a SEA-specific vision-language model.
September 23, 2024
🎉 Exciting news! SEACrowd’s very first publication has been accepted at EMNLP 2024! 🚀
August 22, 2024
Today, SEACrowd has formed a legal entity in Indonesia. 🇮🇩
August 18, 2024
