ASA CCNY PIPES workshop Publishing Improvement Pipeline for Emerging Scholars (PIPES) Workshop | 29 November 2023
We are in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the world grapples with the issue of Artificial intelligence, particularly Chat GPT, linguists in Africa are concerned about the future of our students’ interns in critical thinking, analyses, and real-world application. The overarching argument is that the widespread use of Chat GPT worldwide could reduce linguistic and stylistic diversity. It is also assumed that the gap between languages where such tools work well and where they do not will become more prominent and, in some scenes, create a new global educational and digital device based on language.
How can we tackle such issues, particularly concerning African higher education futurism? This study used selected universities in Nigeria as its analytical matrix and, through surveys and interviews, provided answers to the following questions:
How can AI keep up with all the African languages and new words constantly emerging in each language within the purview that social media is absorbing new words from other languages faster than ever?
Do we need to revamp the school curriculum because of such technological inventions? Moreover, will it suit our local African educational contexts because Chat GPT is most effective in English?
Or are we confronted with another case of linguistic domination?
The study’s findings reveal that while ChatGPT and similar AI technologies offer valuable capabilities, their adoption in Africa should be mindful of the potential implications for linguistic diversity and dominance. Therefore, the study recommends that Governments and international bodies collaborate to create policies and regulations that ensure equitable access to AI-powered educational resources while safeguarding linguistic diversity and cultural heritage.
Keywords: ChatGPT, Language Learning, Linguistic Diversity, Africa
