R.I.Y.A-AIx, which stands for Responsive Intelligence for Your Advancement (Artificial Intelligence eXtended), is a groundbreaking AI project born out of one coder's vision to contribute to the technological future of Mauritius. Initiated in late 2014 as a solo endeavor, the project faced significant challenges due to a lack of financial resources, limited infrastructure, and minimal support from local authorities and businesses.
Despite persistent efforts to seek backing within Mauritius, the coder was met with repeated setbacks, forcing him to push forward independently using whatever tools and knowledge were available. In the face of these obstacles, the coder successfully built the entire model from the ground up.
Recognizing the need for further advancement and technical support, he eventually partnered with engineers at MIT—not for funding, but for critical infrastructure access and collaborative team support. This strategic collaboration significantly enhanced the capabilities of the Transformer-based model. The project's impact and innovation were recognized internationally, leading to its feature in the MIT Journal in September 2024, marking a milestone for both the coder and the ambition to place Mauritius on the global AI map.