This new tech could save old languages from dying out

In the heart of Michigan's upper peninsula, Danielle Boyer is on a mission to combat the alarming trend of generational language loss within her Indigenous Anishinaabe community. Growing up, Boyer, now 24, experienced firsthand the diminishing use of Anishinaabemowin, her people's native tongue. "Generational language loss is happening at an astonishing rate," she shared during an interview. To tackle this issue, she has developed a language-teaching robot named SkoBot, inspired by a talking toy. SkoBot is designed to engage children in learning Anishinaabemowin interactively. This initiative aligns with a broader movement to preserve endangered languages using innovative technology, particularly robotics and artificial intelligence, led by passionate young individuals seeking to reconnect with their cultural heritage. The urgency of this effort is underscored by United Nations estimates that an Indigenous language fades every two weeks, with projections suggesting that half of the world's languages could vanish by 2100. This decline is largely attributed to historical colonization, which often included the suppression of Indigenous languages. Boyer's determination is mirrored by Jared Coleman, an assistant professor at Loyola Marymount University and a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe. Coleman initially pursued computer science with the aspiration of creating a language program akin to Rosetta Stone for his own native language, Owens Valley Paiute. Growing up outside the reservation limited his access to language classes, a challenge faced by many in his community. "The last fluent speaker in my family was my great grandfather, who experienced language suppression in boarding school," he recounted. The SkoBot, roughly the size of a coffee mug and resembling a woodland creature, is designed to facilitate conversation. When a child speaks a word in English, the SkoBot uses AI speech recognition to respond with the equivalent term in Anishinaabemowin, voiced by local children to enhance relatability. Boyer emphasizes the importance of community involvement in language learning, stating, "We bring the SkoBots into classrooms where students can build and customize their robots, creating an engaging learning experience." Coleman’s approach involves utilizing large language models from OpenAI to create an AI system that understands Owens Valley Paiute. He has developed an online dictionary, sentence builder, and translator aimed at supporting his community. While his primary goal is to aid local speakers, he hopes that visitors to California will also take an interest in learning the language. Both Boyer and Coleman are conscious of the ethical implications of using AI technology. Boyer chose to use pre-recorded voices from community members instead of AI-generated audio, emphasizing that language learning should be a communal experience. Her project incorporates an ethical framework to ensure that those who contributed their voices retain ownership of their recordings. Coleman echoes this sentiment, being cautious about the materials he uses to train his AI models. He recognizes the significance of cultural context in language, stating, "Language encompasses an entire culture and history; it’s more than just words." Both innovators are committed to preserving their languages accurately and respectfully, ensuring that their communities remain at the forefront of this technological evolution.