A group of young Luxembourgish developers has just launched “LETZ AI”, the Grand Duchy's first artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking up more and more space in our daily lives, from digital personal assistants capable of writing texts, to programmes able to translate entire passages from one language to another within a few seconds. With the 2022 release of the language tool ChatGPT, AI became a globally-discussed subject.
Now, "LETZ AI", with the tagline "Make something Luxembourgish", has been released by a group of young developers in Luxembourg. The platform generates images with a distinctly Luxembourgish flair, whether they feature public figures, or the user themselves. The team behind the tool has fed the AI with hundreds of photos, but individuals may also register as users for a fee of €99 and train the AI model with their own images as well.
The tool is both practical and fun, with prompts such as "Superjhemp at the beach" delivering amusing results. However, the platform has a serious side too and could help businesses in the future, as explains co-founder Misch Strotz:
"Rather than replacing photographs, the tool is complementary. It allows private users or businesses to create content, for example, featuring a product, which would have been unthinkable before. A classic example: you might want a particular image of a drinks brand on a beach, but we don't have beaches in Luxembourg to take the photo in the first place. So what can you do? You use this type of system."
Such AI-generated images are often used to feature celebrities - a practice which does not come without risks, says Christophe Schommer, professor at the University of Luxembourg. However, it no longer seems possible to exclude artificial intelligence from our daily lives. Society must be more informed in order to approach the practice critically, as Schommer explains:
"There are dangers here, but they exist in all aspects of life. I think it's really important for people to consider how they can influence that for themselves. For example, how can I discern for myself whether something is good or bad, dangerous or not? I believe it is also the duty of parents to warn their children to pay attention, to help them distinguish between what is fake and what is real."
The founders of LETZ AI say they are aware of this issue. But the tool is, above all, a platform to promote Luxembourg's icons and traditions. The team therefore plans to moderate and monitor all user-generated images.
Video report in Luxembourgish:
