Digitalisation and Languages

Illustration generated using DALL·E 2.

Not all languages are equal

Now the article I wrote for episode 8 actually floated the idea that learning languages is something that might be done for personal interest but otherwise is no longer relevant as a useful skill. So what is actually happening with language in the world of AI and digitalisation?

Well first of all, I think it is important to be aware that, perhaps unfortunately, not all languages are treated equally. It is probably fair that English is guilty, through no fault of its own or the that of the country that gave birth to it, of being rather pervasive. It is the language of science, technology, medicine and international business. It is the lingua franca of hundreds of millions who speak it as a second language on a daily basis across the globe.

Digital extinction

So now we are all aware that English is the pervasive language, it should come as no surprise that it is the predominant language in the world of AI. So much so that the term ‘digital extinction’ is actually being used in some circles to describe certain minority languages that may never exist in our ever more technology driven world. But all is not lo, and some governments of countries with a minority language are actually doing proactive to prevent the language disappearing.

One project worthy of note is the Icelandic project. With a population some way under four hundred thousand, Icelandic can indeed be considered a minority language. But is very much a rich spoken language of stories and legends dating back to the viking sagas. The loss of such stories would be not just about losing a language, but also a whole history of travel, adventure and discovery that has global historical significance.

Technology as a resource

Thankfully the Icelandic government recognised the danger and have launched an initiative to digitalise the language in order to future proof its existence. So good for them, but what about minority language countries that don’t have access to the financial and technology resources that Iceland have? Well, I guess they are stuffed, or are they? There are already a number of European initiatives designed to ensure language equality in the world of technology.

Although I have played devil’s advocate in questioning the relevance of minority languages it is simply with the intention of raising awareness of the dangers they face and to facilitate action in trying to save them. To allow a language to die simply because those that speak it lack the financial resources or access to technology that would allow then to save it is a tragedy. It is surely a social and moral obligation of those that do have such resources and access to come to the aid of the less advantaged.

Written by Ian Bowie