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 with Cointelegraph, Uwakwe stressed the urgency of preserving these languages, which face decline due to socio-economic factors. He cited Plateau State, Nigeria, where community displacement amid insecurity has contributed to the scattering and erosion of local languages.
AI and blockchain technologies, according to Uwakwe, are pivotal in preventing the loss or extinction of these languages. He highlighted the insufficient language support from global tech giants and advocated for leveraging AI and blockchain to protect and revive endangered languages not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
The integration of blockchain with AI offers communities incentives to speak and document their native languages, earning tokens in return. These datasets then train AI models to understand and support these languages, ensuring their survival and integration into future technological advancements.
Uwakwe’s commitment to this cause is further solidified by his recent appointment as the LingoAI community ambassador for Nigeria and Africa. As CEO of Sabi Group, he has championed blockchain and Web3 solutions across the continent.
This advocacy echoes other Nigerian leaders’ calls to utilize blockchain and AI, as seen with Olanipekun Olukoyede, chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, emphasizing these technologies to combat illicit financial flows in Africa. Additionally, Nigeria’s Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy launched its first multilingual large language model (LLM) on April 19, aiming to establish leadership in AI development across Africa.
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