Unlocking Africa’s Potential with Linguistic Accessibility
The THIOMI-Lugha NLP Initiative is a knowledge center focused on promoting the Digital and Social Inclusion of Africa through African Languages’ Natural Language Processing.
We believe that language and artificial intelligence-based solutions present a unique opportunity to address long-standing challenges in communication and intellectual production, thereby improving life in African societies.
Our initiative is driven by the vision of making African environments linguistically accessible, including courtrooms, classrooms, hospital rooms, entrepreneurial spaces, and religious spaces.
Revolutionizing Linguistic Accessibility
The THIOMI-LughaNLP Initiative’s Mission to Develop AI Translation Systems for African Languages.
At present, African languages are the least explored areas of African life, despite being the backbone of culture and knowledge. Natural Language Processing (NLP) in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a great opportunity to improve African life by using technological advances to make African languages and culture easily translated without the need for human translators.
The THIOMI-LughaNLP Initiative is building a database for African languages for the purpose of developing AI translation systems using NLP, with the main objective of making African environments linguistically accessible. This includes courtrooms, classrooms, hospital rooms, entrepreneurial spaces, and religious spaces.
However, translating between African languages poses significant challenges due to the large number of languages spoken in Africa, with about 2000 languages. Although there are at least 75 languages in Africa with more than one million speakers, most African languages are yet to be included in existing machine translation systems. This is because the majority have small populations that speak them, making them poorly resourced with respect to data.
The THIOMI-LughaNLP Initiative aims to address these challenges by building an open-domain natural language translator for African languages, which will be used in various form factors such as headset interpreters, audio smartphone applications, web applications, and multiple forms of Internet-of-things (IOT) embeddings such as public address systems and microphones. The use cases are broadly classified into three categories: personal use, dialogue, and public address, as well as reading information from the internet, news, job seeking, etc.
Mission and Services
Empowering African Languages and Culture through NLP-based AI Translation
The THIOMI-Lugha NLP Initiative is building a database for African languages for the purpose of developing AI translation systems using NLP. Our main objective is to make African languages and culture easily translated without the need for human translators.
We are working on an open-domain natural language translator for African languages, which will be used in various form factors such as headset interpreters, audio smartphone applications, web applications, and multiple forms of Internet-of-things (IOT) embeddings such as public address systems and microphones.
Our services include personal use, dialogue, and public address, as well as reading information from the internet, news, job seeking, and more.
Our Objectives
Increased Awareness
We aim to raise awareness for the importance of African languages and NLP in addressing long-standing challenges in communication and intellectual production.
Collaborations
We strive to foster collaborations across disciplines for NLP in African languages, bringing together experts and stakeholders to work towards our common goal.
Networking Opportunities
We aim to expand networks and relationships in NLP and African languages, creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Knowledge Sharing
We are committed to sharing best practices and knowledge for NLP in African languages, helping to build capacity in this important area.
Policy Recommendations
We aim to generate policy recommendations for digital and social inclusion of African languages through NLP, advocating for policies that support the development and deployment of language technology in Africa.
Upcoming/ Completed Workshops
Digital and Social Inclusion of African Languages through Natural Language Processing
Date: 13th and 14th July 2022
The Harvard University Department of Africa and African American Studies and the Harvard University Centre for African Studies through the THIOMI-LughaNLP Initiative organized a workshop on Digital and Social Inclusion of African Languages through Natural Language Processing on 13th and 14th July 2022 at CMS-Africa, 13th Floor, Pioneer Point, Kilimani, Chania Ave, Nairobi.
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