The Welsh Government and OpenAI are joining forces to improve how AI handles the Welsh language. This new partnership aims to help AI technologies like ChatGPT better serve Wales' 874,700 Welsh speakers.
Jeremy Miles, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy and Welsh Language, announced the initiative in the Senedd today. He outlined it as part of a broader plan to strengthen Welsh in education, the economy, and daily life.
"Cymraeg belongs to us all," Miles said, using the Welsh word for the Welsh language. "We're working towards a million Welsh speakers by 2050, and this partnership is a step in that direction."
The collaboration will create open data archives for AI researchers to use. This addresses a key challenge in AI development: the lack of Welsh language data for training models.
Anna Makanju, VP of Global Affairs at OpenAI, emphasized their commitment to linguistic diversity. "We want our models to understand as many languages as possible," she said. Makanju noted that OpenAI is also working on other less common languages like Icelandic, Hausa, and Yoruba.
This project builds on Wales' ongoing efforts in language technology since 2018. Miles stressed that there's still work to do and invited the public to share ideas on how technology could help people use more Welsh.
The partnership could have far-reaching effects. It could help keep Welsh relevant in the digital age and serve as a model for preserving other minority languages worldwide.
As Wales pushes ahead with its language goals, including a new Welsh Language Education Bill, this AI partnership shows how traditional culture and cutting-edge tech can work together.
The Welsh Government is now asking citizens for input on future Welsh language tech developments. This approach lets the public shape how AI will speak Welsh, potentially creating a digital future that reflects Wales' rich linguistic heritage.