Lucky Uwakwe, chairman of the Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee of Nigeria (BICCoN), has emphasized the importance of using artificial intelligence (AI) to preserve African languages at risk of extinction.
In a recent interview with Cointelegraph, Uwakwe highlighted the urgent need to protect languages, as fewer people speak them due to various socio-economic factors. Uwakwe pointed to the example of languages in Plateau State, Nigeria, where insecurity has displaced communities, causing their languages to scatter and decline.
AI and blockchain use
According to Uwakwe, the goal is to ensure no language is lost or becomes extinct. He stated that technological advancements like AI and blockchain could be crucial in achieving this goal. Uwakwe also highlighted a significant gap in language support provided by global tech giants:
“For instance, in Nigeria, Google only offers translation for 3-4 languages (Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin) out of over 100 languages. The rest are almost dying because software developers lack training models to support them in building new applications.”
However, this situation is not unique to Nigeria; it reflects a broader challenge across many African languages. To address this, Uwakwe advocates for leveraging AI and blockchain technologies to preserve and restore endangered languages.
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