Lucky Uwakwe advocates AI and blockchain for preserving endangered African languages

  • Lucky Uwakwe, chairman of BICCoN, emphasizes AI’s role in saving endangered African languages.
  • African languages face decline due to socio-economic factors, notably in Plateau State, Nigeria.
  • Uwakwe advocates for AI and blockchain to prevent language extinction.
  • Google and other tech giants provide limited language support, leaving many languages unsupported.
  • The issue extends across Africa, highlighting the need for technological solutions.

Main AI News:

Lucky Uwakwe, chairman of Nigeria’s Blockchain Industry Coordinating Committee (BICCoN), underscores the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) in safeguarding endangered African languages. In a recent interview, Uwakwe emphasized the urgent need to protect these languages, which face increasing risks due to various socio-economic factors. He highlighted the case of Plateau State, Nigeria, where community displacement has disrupted and diminished local language communities.

The primary objective, according to Uwakwe, is to prevent the loss or extinction of any language. He pointed out that advancements in technology, particularly AI and blockchain, hold significant promise in achieving this goal. Uwakwe also drew attention to the significant gap in language support provided by major tech giants like Google, which currently offers translations for only a few Nigerian languages such as Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin, leaving many others without adequate tools for preservation and development.

This challenge is not confined to Nigeria alone but mirrors a broader issue across Africa’s diverse linguistic landscape. To tackle this challenge effectively, Uwakwe advocates for harnessing AI and blockchain technologies to safeguard and revitalize endangered languages throughout the continent.

Conclusion:

The advocacy of AI and blockchain technologies by Lucky Uwakwe underscores a critical need within the market to address the preservation of endangered African languages. This highlights opportunities for tech firms to develop and deploy inclusive language support solutions that could not only preserve cultural heritage but also tap into untapped linguistic markets across the continent. The market potential lies in leveraging advanced technologies to bridge the gap in language preservation efforts, thereby fostering both cultural sustainability and technological innovation in the region.

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