LingoAI today announced a strategic partnership with Malaysia’s Centre for AI, Blockchain and Advanced Research (CABAR) to launch MalayDAO, a community-led initiative to build an open, decentralized Malay Large Language Model (LLM). The goal is to empower the Malay language with fair representation and data sovereignty in the AI age.
Beyond Big Tech: Language Is Humanity’s Oldest Token
“Language is the oldest token in human history,” said Effendy, founder of CABAR. “Now, with AI and Web3, we are remapping its value.” Starting with Malay, MalayDAO will create a traceable, community-rewarding language data infrastructure that puts local voices and values in control.
LingoCrowd: Building Infrastructure for Community AI
As part of the partnership, LingoAI will provide key technical infrastructure:
• Personal online data wallets built on Solid protocol
• Localized LLM deployment toolkits
• LingoPod earbuds for real-time Malay speech translation and multimodal data capture
These tools ensure that language data is collected, stored, and monetized locally, giving communities ownership and control over their AI future.
Contribute to Earn and Build: A Fair AI Economy for their native Language
MalayDAO is built on the “Contribute to Earn” principle. Every conversation, translation, or interaction becomes a tokenized exchange, giving back value to those who power the system. “Data should no longer be owned by tech giants,” said Effendy. “Every Malay speaker deserves to benefit from the AI they help build.”
Malaysia Leads the Way in ‘AI for the Global Majority’
At the recent “AI-First Nation to AI-First World” webinar hosted by Singapore IGF and supported by the United Nations Internet Governance Forum (UN IGF), Effendy emphasized: “AI must serve the Global Majority, not just elite nations.”
This partnership with LingoAI brings that vision to life and positions Malaysia as a regional leader in ethical AI innovation.
LingoAI CEO Remarks: LanguageDAO Is Growing Roots Worldwide
LingoAI CEO commented: “We warmly congratulate the birth of MalayDAO! It’s inspiring to see our LanguageDAO initiative take root globally — contributing multilingual, multimodal datasets for global AI training. I am honored to accept Effendy Zulkifly’s invitation to speak at the Malaysia National University AI Symposium in July and the Youth Empowerment Forum (YEFAiR) in September.
I look forward to exploring the critical role of AI in language data sovereignty, digital empowerment, and Web3.0 development, and sharing LingoAI’s practices in closing the digital divide and supporting low-resource languages.
We also hope our Malay dataset can help Chinese large models succeed in Southeast Asia.”
What’s Next: MalayDAO local community and Token Incentive Program Coming in 2025
In the second half of 2025, LingoAI will release a Malay-supported version of Bahasa Melayu data projects and LingoPod to capture and trace language data ethically.
By the end of the year, MalayDAO will launch its community token incentive mechanism, inviting Malay speakers across the globe to contribute, govern, and benefit from their own language model.
About LingoAI
LingoAI is a global leader in decentralized language intelligence, building AI+Web3 infrastructure for multilingual communication, data sovereignty, and inclusive AI. Its flagship offerings include LingoPod, LingoCrowd, locally-deployed models, and open-source fine-tuning stacks designed for low-resource languages and communities.
About CABAR Malaysia
The Centre for AI, Blockchain and Advanced Research (CABAR) is Malaysia’s leading research hub for frontier technologies and social equity. Founded by Effendy, CABAR advocates for ethical tech, inclusive governance, and community-led innovation in AI and Web3.