Meta Partners With UNESCO on Indigenous Language Translation
Meta is partnering with world heritage organization UNESCO in a move that could lead to lesser-known Indigenous languages being incorporated into Meta AI, as TechCrunch reports.
Language Technology Partner Program
The Language Technology Partner Program is currently seeking contributors who can provide more than 10 hours of speech recordings with transcriptions. Contributors are also required to supply pre-translated sentences and a significant body of written work in the target language, which will be utilized to enhance Meta's AI systems.
Government of Nunavut's Participation
The government of Nunavut, a territory in northern Canada that speaks a variety of endangered Native Inuit languages, has already partnered with the program. Meta's efforts in the translation and transcription space are gaining momentum, with a focus on building intelligent systems that cater to diverse human needs.
Joining the Program
Applications to join the Language Technology Partner Program will be accepted until March 7, 2025. Selected contributors will be informed about the next steps by April 15, 2025. Meta's spokesperson expressed their commitment to expanding language technologies and creating systems that can understand and respond to various cultural backgrounds.
Focus on Endangered Languages
Leading translation apps like Google have also been directing resources toward endangered languages. Google recently included the Inuit language Inuktut in October 2024, along with Quechuan spoken in Peru since 2022.
Meta's AI Investment
Meta continues to invest heavily in AI technology. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to increase Meta's GPU capacity to power edge AI assistants, aiming to compete with industry rivals. The company's upcoming Llama 4 model is set to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
