Illustration by Adriana García Herbas for Rising Voices.
On March 13 and 14, 2025, as part of the Indigenous Language Digital Activism Summit, Rising Voices, in collaboration with First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) and the Research Chair in Digital Indigeneities at Bishop’s University in Canada, will organize the “AI + Languages” Forum. This event, supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Embassy of Canada in Mexico, and hosted by the Spanish Cultural Center, aims to examine the implications of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to strengthen and revitalize Indigenous languages in Mexico.
In this forum, Indigenous language speakers and activists from across Mexico will have the opportunity to:
‧ Explore the ways in which AI is being used to support language revitalization.
‧ Exchange perspectives on the implications of using AI to strengthen and revitalize Indigenous languages in Mexico, including their aspirations and concerns about the use of these technologies for their languages, in conversation with other Indigenous digital activists.
‧ Propose principles based on Indigenous perspectives to guide potential technological development from within communities and to decide whether these technologies are appropriate and beneficial for our communities.
What will the Forum cover?
The use of AI as a tool to promote and preserve Indigenous languages is a topic of emerging interest, which offers both risks and opportunities, which should be considered in an informed and critical manner.
Those of us who are members of Indigenous peoples and individuals concerned about the future of our languages view AI applications, such as machine translation, text-to-speech conversion, and chatbots, among other, with interest. At the same time, we are concerned about protecting our linguistic sovereignty and the governance of our data, among other ethical and political considerations.
This forum will bring together Indigenous language digital activists to share both their aspirations and concerns, and to discuss these issues with people involved in the development of technologies from an Indigenous perspective.
Among other topics, the forum will address the sociocultural and environmental impacts of using AI to strengthen Indigenous languages, the risks associated with the digitization of language and culture, the need to reflect on data governance, as well as examples of AI development carried out with the active participation of Indigenous peoples.
The event will offer opportunities to explore questions such as:
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- Is AI something that aligns with my values, the values of my community, or our current priorities?
- Who is using, and how is AI being used in relation to the Indigenous languages?
- What are the risks and opportunities for AI in relation to the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples?
- How can we navigate AI in a communitarian and collective way as to protect our cultural heritage, intelectual creativity and data sovereignty?
This forum aims to support members of Indigenous peoples in begin able to critically and knowledgeably examine the potential effects—both negative and positive—that AI could have on work with their languages, in order to foster digital ecosystems where Indigenous language speakers themselves lead the efforts to protect and revitalize their languages.
Where and when will the Forum take place?
March 13-14, 2025
Host site:
Spanish Cultural Center in Mexico, Pasaje Cultural Guatemala 18 – Donceles 97, Historical Center, Mexico City
- ‧The format is in-person, interactive, and participatory, through presentations and group discussions.
- Each of the two days will last eight hours, with a lunch break provided by the organizers.‧
- Participants who attend both days will receive a certificate of participation.
- Through a selection process, we aim to limit the Forum to approximately 50 participants to ensure everyone has a chance to contribute.
What’s the cost to attend?
- It’s completely free. Lunch and snacks will be provided to selected participants.
Before applying, please consider the following. - We are especially inviting individuals who:
- Are speakers of an Indigenous language in Mexico.‧
- Are working on or developing a digital project that uses digital tools to support Indigenous languages (software development, use of open-source tools, web platforms, etc.) Since space is limited, please make sure you are available to
How can you apply?
Complete the application form located at the bottom of this call for participation.
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships will be available to help cover travel, accommodation, and/or other related expenses for some participants. Priority will be given to applicants who also apply to participate in the Indigenous Digital Languages Fair, in addition to meeting the previously stated criteria.
Deadline
The last day to apply will be February 6th 2025.
Special guests
Belu Ticona is marrona, Quechua-Aymara, born in Buenos Aires to a Bolivian family. She studied computer science at the University of Buenos Aires and completed training stays at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and at Johns Hopkins University, among others. She held internships at corporate companies such as Medallia and Microsoft, as well as in Indigenous initiatives like First Languages AI Reality. She is currently pursuing her PhD in computer science at George Mason University, where she researches language technologies for: (1) responding to environmental and humanitarian crises, (2) vulnerable languages and dialects, and (3) the social sciences.
Genner Llanes Ortiz is a Maya researcher from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, and holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sussex (United Kingdom). He is currently an Associate Professor at Bishop’s University in Canada, where, since 2022, he has led the Canada Research Chair in Digital Indigeneities. This term encompasses the diverse ways in which Indigenous peoples use digital technologies to promote their languages and worldviews, educate about their cultures and histories, share knowledge across generations, and mobilize support for their causes. He is the lead author of the toolkit “Digital Initiatives for Indigenous Languages,” produced by Rising Voices/Global Voices and published by UNESCO in 2023.
Daniela Ramos Ojeda is a student who grew up in Houston, TX, with Nahua ancestry from the Sierra Norte of Puebla and Otomí ancestry from the state of Hidalgo. She is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in computer science and linguistics at Cornell University in New York State. Daniela recently completed an internship with the company Indigigenius, working on the FLAIR: First Languages AI Reality project, where she contributed to research on automatic speech recognition for Indigenous languages of North America, with the goal of promoting intergenerational transmission of these languages.
