FLock.io shows sovereign AI possible in Sarawak via federated learning

Tuesday 17 Mar 2026 @ 13:30
techUK

FLock.io has demonstrated a sovereign AI technique for governmental organisations, trialling it in Malaysia before it is adopted by other jurisdictions worldwide. In collaboration with Sarawak AI Centre, the project efficiently trained a model on an indigenous language across distributed state hardware via federated learning (FL), without exposing the data.

Governments are seeking alternatives to foreign centralised AI corporations

Governments are seeking sovereign AI to take control of their own systems instead of relying on external and usually foreign corporations. The public sector wishes to make better use of national data to support policy making and improve services through AI, but privacy is non-negotiable – data breaches of health records and other sensitive data can be disastrous. The aim is to prioritise local infrastructure, cultural values, data security and regulatory compliance at a time when centralised AI is under fire for compromising data privacy. The UK, for example, is launching a Sovereign AI Unit in April 2026 to invest in UK companies to support AI national champions.

Jiahao Sun, CEO of FLock.io, said:

“Privacy is non-negotiable in the public sector. Governments hold highly sensitive data: health records, tax history, welfare, police and criminal files. Data breaches can be disastrous.”

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