Reviving Lost Tongues: How AI Battles Language Extinction

Every two weeks, a language dies, with over 7000 spoken worldwide, many linguists predict that at least half will be extinct within the next century. Language preservation is crucial as it carries the knowledge and history of cultures. The decline in minority languages can be attributed to globalization, migration, and technology's incentives to communicate in dominant languages. However, AI technologies are offering a way to preserve endangered languages from extinction. In Nigeria, which has over 500 spoken languages, AI is being used to build language tech like automatic speech recognition (ASR) and speech-to-text tools. While there are challenges such as lack of resources and ethical considerations, organizations like Masakhane are working towards strengthening NLP research in Africa by offering tools for training models for various African languages.