UNICEF and CLEAR Global map the future of language technology in West and Central Africa
Across West and Central Africa, hundreds of millions of people speak languages that barely exist in the digital world. No smartphone operating system, no autocorrect and no translation tool that works reliably in Fulfulde, Lingala or Dioula. To understand the potential for solutions, UNICEF commissioned a comprehensive mapping and language technology landscape from CLEAR Global. […]
Half of the world can’t participate in solutions for the climate crisis because of language barriers
The monsoon rains came early to Pakistan in 2022, transforming rivers into roaring torrents that swallowed entire villages. In Nowshera district, as floodwaters receded and displaced families sought help, language became an invisible barrier as devastating as the floods themselves. Pashto-speaking families who had lost everything found themselves unable to navigate the very systems meant […]
Protecting human expertise in an age of automation and budget cuts
By Aimee Ansari and Catherine Fox Both the language services industry and the humanitarian and development aid sector have been going through huge and painful changes recently. Language services are facing severe pressure from the impacts of machine translation and AI, which threaten the prospects and viability of freelancers and industry professionals. Meanwhile, changes in […]
Our impact on language AI: a strategic evaluation and insight for the road ahead
Access to technology still depends on the language a person speaks. While voice assistants, transcription tools, and text-to-speech systems are becoming common in major global languages, millions of people who speak marginalized or low-resource languages remain excluded. To better understand CLEAR Global’s impact as an organization focused on low-resource language technology, and to guide our […]
The silent barrier undermining humanitarian impact
In an era of escalating crises, from conflict to climate-induced disasters, humanitarian assistance must reach more people and do so more effectively. Yet one crucial element often overlooked in delivering impactful aid is language. Language inclusion is not a peripheral concern; it is central to accountability to affected people (AAP). Without it, aid cannot be […]
Digital and language inclusion can transform lives — here’s how
Up to now, the advances in language technology that lie behind tools like ChatGPT, Alexa, and Google Translate have only worked for speakers of a few dozen languages. But in a wider range of languages, they could dramatically impact the lives of millions of people. They could enable those displaced by war and disasters to […]
The challenge of language inclusion in the age of AI
Earlier this month, The Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson posted a short video on LinkedIn (he does them every day – and they’re super interesting) about this paper, saying that Large Language Models (LLMs) are “increasing the number of people employed in translation.” That’s not exactly what the video said and it is not what the […]
Learning lessons from the past – in your language
Effective communication bridges cultures and drives progress. With 7,000+ languages worldwide, TWB and Evidence Aid rise to the challenge. Let’s learn together!
LocWorld 51: 4 key takeaways to strive for a fairer future
LocWorld 51: 4 key takeaways to strive for a fairer future In June, CLEAR Global joined localization professionals, language technology companies, and other industry leaders from around the world for this year’s LocWorld 51 conference in Dublin. Themed “AI and Beyond”, the conference was packed with presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities as attendees unpacked […]
Supporting digital inclusion for Kinyarwanda speakers
Local partnerships boost language technology for communities in Rwanda