Currently about two-thirds of humanity, more than 5 billion people, are online.īuilding as many languages as possible into this new era of AI isn’t just an opportunity, it’s an imperative. Of course, this also means ensuring that more and more people have access to the Internet and AI tools. Today, most such apps translate fewer than 200 of the 7,000 languages spoken around the world. With AI technologies improving for phone cameras, people will be able to point their phones at any sign or product and have it instantly translated into their native tongue. With AI providing instant translations that capture ideas and nuances, people will be able to express themselves to colleagues who speak different languages without slowing down the pace of business.īusinesses will also be able to reach entire new markets of consumers. There are talented people across the world who speak thousands of languages, and who currently cannot get jobs with many large corporations that may require English. One of the most pressing reasons to do all this is for business. The better the digital world understands and translates the intended meanings of phrases, idioms, and ideas, the more people will feel they can express themselves in their native languages. AI tools will also improve translation and interpretation apps aimed at helping people communicate across different languages. Building generative AI tools for at-risk languages will give speakers a chance to teach AI how they speak their native tongues in natural conversations. This presents a profound opportunity for linguists, technologists, and others who are working to move languages into the digital realm. Currently, they are only proficient in the languages that dominate the internet–especially English. The more people use generative AI tools such ChatGPT and Bard, the better these tools become at understanding and replicating the language. Much of what excites people about generative AI is its ability to “understand” and replicate the ways humans talk to each other. Generative AI can help a great deal in breathing new life into languages for the digital era. In recent months, it’s become clear that a new wave of technology offers a potentially transformative effect. We take inspiration from designers who created a solution for the Chinese language. DCKAP (the company I lead) is among them, working on a new keyboard for Tamil speakers. Some technologists are building tools to help make typing Tamil an efficient, positive experience. So even when people know Tamil, they often type in English characters. People, especially in younger generations, get used to making English the language they turn to first since most computers and phones are designed for English. In addition to cultural reasons (like Tamil sadly being looked down on at times in places like Chennai, in favor of English), the digital reality is a major driving force in this shift. Even when Tamil is used in public places, it’s more and more often transliterated into English (Latin characters). But every year, I see English take over more and more of the signs, product labels, business conversations, and pop culture in the region. Chennai is in the state of Tamil Nadu, where Tamil is the official language. I spend time in both the United States and Chennai, India, where I grew up. But I see how it is digitally disadvantaged. ![]() With reports suggesting that more than 70 million people speak Tamil, including about 250,000 in the United States, it is not currently considered a dying language. It’s the language that Mahatma Gandhi wanted to learn in order to understand the Thirukkural, a renowned work on ethics and morality, in its original form. It’s also the first language of Google CEO Sundar Pichai. It’s the native tongue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ mother–and one that Harris referenced in accepting the vice presidential nomination. ![]() ![]() I speak one of the world’s oldest languages, Tamil. Researchers have coined a term for this: “ digitally disadvantaged languages.” The curious case of Tamil One particularly concerning study by researcher András Kornai predicted that “less than 5% of all languages can still ascend to the digital realm,” and warned that there is “evidence of a massive die-off caused by the digital divide.”Īs humanity carries out more and more of its communications through digital tools, languages that aren’t carried or supported by dominant digital platforms are likely to be forgotten. A big part of what endangers indigenous languages is the shift into the digital age.
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