Ukraine builds its own AI using Google’s Gemma tech
Ukraine is developing its own large language model using Google’s open-weight Gemma framework, aiming to create a fully independent national AI system for military and civilian use. The digital ministry and mobile operator Kyivstar said the project will begin training on Google’s computing infrastructure before transitioning entirely to Ukrainian data centers, allowing the country to maintain full control over the system used by 23 million citizens.
Officials say the new Ukrainian AI will power a new generation of services across public administration, business, and defense. Deputy Minister for Digitalisation Oleksandr Bornyakov earlier explained that Ukraine wants to avoid spending millions on foreign models and reduce dependence on proprietary systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Chinese models including DeepSeek and Qwen were also rejected, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Ukraine already uses AI tools for reconnaissance, drone operations and strike analysis, including systems provided by U.S. firm Palantir. The choice of Google’s Gemma was based on its multilingual performance and its policy advantages, according to Kyivstar. Meta’s Llama and France’s Mistral were also considered during the evaluation phase.
Part of the initiative addresses communication gaps that current AI systems struggle with. Many Ukrainians speak blended dialects of Ukrainian, Russian, and minority languages. Kyivstar’s chief product officer highlighted existing issues such as mistranslations, legal errors and AI “hallucinations,” which the new model aims to reduce.
Four advisory committees with binding oversight have been created to ensure the AI handles Ukrainian and minority languages, including Crimean Tatar, and to shape its technical, legal, cultural and linguistic direction. Data is currently being collected from over 90 institutions, including court records, educational materials and war-related archives.
The model will be trained on secure GPUs abroad due to the threat of Russian strikes, then deployed within Ukraine. Officials anticipate cyberattacks once the system launches and are preparing defenses against threats such as prompt-injection attacks. Kyivstar has already installed thousands of backup generators to stabilize operations during intensified strikes on energy infrastructure.
The completed AI model will first support government services and Kyivstar platforms before expanding to the wider private sector. Ukrainian officials say the project showcases how smaller countries can use open technologies to build strategic independence in artificial intelligence.
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