How To Scale Language Data Ecosystems to Drive Industrial Development Growth
*Recommendations from a discussion paper co-designed with the G7 Italian Presidency, and implemented by the UNDP, with Lanfrica as an expert contributor. Africa is home to over 2,500 languages, yet they remain significantly underrepresented in the digital space. As the world embraces artificial intelligence (AI), many sectors such as healthcare, education, and financial technology (fintech) […]
Building a Future of Accessible, Inclusive Education
Not long ago, in many parts of Africa, children would rise before dawn to walk miles along dusty paths just to reach a classroom. With tattered textbooks and overcrowded rooms, learning was often a struggle, limited by resources and access. While this still remains a reality for many, we are witnessing an evolution in education. […]
The State of African Language Datasets
Motivation Our digital world is a rich tapestry of ideas, languages, cultures, and knowledge. However, our access to and understanding of these resources is skewed; some gain significant visibility, while others remain under-represented, and obscure (even when available on the web). Our understanding is largely defined by what’s findable. In today’s fast-paced digital age, online […]
Lanfrica V2 – What’s Cooking Under the Hood
For the past 9 months, we have been hard at work on revamping Lanfrica. As we wrap up, we wanted to share a sneak peek on some things to expect. Changes coming to the Lanfrica frontend We have some exciting things coming to the frontend: A cleaner discovery interface: our previous records platform, with the […]
How Open Source is Powering the Future of African NLP
Open source isn’t just about free software; it’s a movement built on sharing, openness, and collaboration. Across Africa, people are coming together to build language technology that includes everyone. In African Natural Language Processing (NLP), open-source projects are the driving force behind this movement. They’ve already helped bring over 2,000 local languages online. This work […]
Will AI Make Farming in Africa More Sustainable or More Complex?
Agriculture has always been a vital part of Africa’s economy, supporting the livelihoods of millions of people. However, the sector is facing tough challenges due to climate change, limited resources, and problems with food security. This is where artificial intelligence (AI) comes in—a promising technology that could significantly change farming across the continent. AI can […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2024: Transforming Lives & Industries In Africa.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) isn’t just a trendy buzzword anymore; it’s starting to really change our world in some big ways. In Africa, a continent full of diversity and potential, AI is making waves in areas like farming, healthcare, governance, and economic growth. But just like any new tech, there are both benefits and challenges to […]
AI and NLP Driving the Future of Healthcare Innovation in Africa
Africa’s healthcare is entering a transformative era powered by AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP). These technologies are reshaping medical care, from diagnosis and research to patient management, with applications that are tailored to the continent’s unique needs.
From Consumers to Builders – Lanfrica’s Data Unconference Recap
On October 29, 2024, Lanfrica hosted The Lanfrica Data Unconference, a fully‑virtual gathering on Zoom designed to re‑imagine who gets to shape language technology for African and other under‑represented languages. Motivation “You don’t have to be a computer scientist to influence the technology that affects your language.” In today’s digital world, indigenous and minority languages are at […]
Why Linguistic Collaboration Is Important In Advancing NLP Tools in Africa
Understanding a language and how its native speakers speak it requires more than just knowing the words and their meanings. It involves understanding the context, nuances, and cultural aspects that give the language its depth. When we want a machine to “speak” or “understand” a language, it needs to appreciate the elements of phonology, morphology, […]
