A group of scientists is working to create advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools for mastering African languages.
The scientists from non-profit African Masakhane Research Foundation specialize in Natural Language Processing.
"It doesn’t make sense to me that there are limited AI tools for African languages. Inclusion and representation in the advancement of language technology is not a patch you put at the end — it’s something you think about upfront," Masakhane Research Foundation's researcher Kathleen Siminyu told the local media.
The obstruction that hinders the integration of African languages in AI tools is the scarcity of information about them, according to local media. The insufficiency of data about language patterns does not allow the computer to master a language.
To overcome this, the research group first defined the key figures interested in the development of African language tools, including writers, editors, content creators and linguists, and gathered information about their experience, motivation, focuses, and challenges, media said.
Interviews with the stakeholders of the project reportedly helped them understand the impact of the colonization era on the linguistic portrait of the continent and the significant cultural value of the indigenous languages.
In addition, the scientists noted the need to support the African content creation. In terms of technologies, this includes building basic tools such as dictionaries, spell checkers, and keyboards for African languages. From the administrative point, this implies removing obstacles to the translation of government communications into multiple national languages, including African languages.
The next step for the research team will be to improve people's access to technology. The results of the project may also facilitate the preservation of indigenous African languages.
"I would love for us to live in a world where Africans can have as good a quality of life and access to information and opportunities as somebody fluent in English, French, Mandarin, or other languages," Siminyu told the media.
The researcher added that more and more organizations are working in this field and the findings of the study facilitate "the coordination of efforts in building impactful language tools" as well as help to identify "priorities for time and financial investments."