Global AI Conclave: We are working on smaller AI models with 7-20 billion parameters, says Zoho’s Sridhar Vembu

Zoho founder says the company wants to own GPU infrastructure for AI models as that is cheaper in the longer term

Zoho is working on smaller artificial intelligence (AI) models that are based on 7 billion to 20 billion parameters to solve specific domain problems for its customers, the company’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, said on December 16.

“We have found that the smaller models are better for domain-specific problems. That’s why we are not doing the 500 billion parameter models as of now… we also want to own our own graphics processing units (GPU) infrastructure as that is cheaper in the long term,” Vembu said at the CNBC-TV18 and MYSBA Global AI Conclave.

“There are two forms of capital. Brain capital is the bigger one. If that is solved, financial capital will come. It’s not that $50 million or $100 million can’t be found in Bengaluru. Now, AMD is also coming with AI chips. We are working with them. The supply chain issues of chips will be resolved,” he added.

Vembu also said that 20 percent of the work in software development is creative and 80 percent is data bookkeeping.

“That 80 percent could be automated. That is the low-hanging fruit,” he said.