Generative Al based on large language models (LLMs) has the potential to revolutionize how we approach globalization, particularly when it comes to the world's major languages. However, many of these approaches rely on huge amounts of data - which are not available for the majority of languages - and infrastructure, which is not equally distributed globally. How can businesses and researchers address this issue and what pathways and perspectives can be shared between the Global North and the Global South to bridge the many gaps that exist? In this talk, we’ll share perspectives on the rise and practical role of AI-powered language technology from practitioners, developers, and users around the world. Additionally, and arguably more crucially, we will share insights from those who would like to be practitioners and users, but face challenges in terms of resources and accessibility. Our insights for this wide-ranging topic come from a series of small gatherings hosted by the Imminent Research Centre in 2023 to discuss the state of language and AI. These gatherings took place globally in Europe, Africa, and Oceania with both international and local participants bringing their expertise. While the initial focus of discussions is often on the broader picture - the effectiveness of LLMs for translation, multilingual content creation, and quality assurance - conversations converge to a local context, and we’re forced to look at the technologies and challenges through a different lens.

For example:

- How applicable is language AI for the 1,000-2,000 African languages - a number that is ever-evolving with the emergence of hugely popular cants and creoles, such as Sheng?

- What options do we have when building data-driven solutions for under-resourced languages?

- How can we deliver solutions when other resources are shy - such as the infrastructure to train and host models, or the bandwidth to run real-time applications?

-Prioritization: what languages and/or challenges get addressed first? Does the initiative come from technology providers in the Global North, or from practitioners in the Global South, or some combination of the two?

We’ll share the fruits of these discussions and some of the groundwork laid to address the challenges at hand.

Host organization: Globalization and Localization Association