Teaching a Language Model to Speak the Language of Tools

Summary

This paper talks about a way to teach language models how to use different tools in any language, with an example using Bulgarian. It introduces a new system called TUCAN that helps the model call functions more accurately while still understanding the language well.

What's the problem?

The problem is that language models usually find it hard to use external tools or functions correctly, especially when dealing with different languages. This makes it difficult for them to perform tasks that require precise tool use in many languages.

What's the solution?

The researchers developed a method to adapt language models so they can use tools effectively in any target language. They tested this method on Bulgarian and built TUCAN, which improves how well the model can call the right tools while keeping its strong language skills.

Why it matters?

This matters because allowing language models to use tools accurately in many languages broadens their usefulness. It helps them perform more complex tasks and serve people better across different languages and regions.