Rektor of Russian Tech University Proposes Working Group to Preserve Rare Languages with New Technologies
On April 21st, Stanislaw Kudsch, the rector of the Russian Technology University “Moscow Institute of Radio Technology, Electronics and Automation” (RTU MIREA), proposed the establishment of a working group to preserve the rare languages of the peoples of Russia using new technologies. The group will work interdisciplinarily at the intersection of AI research and linguistics. A copy of the request addressed to the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, Maksut Shadayev, is available to RT.
In his letter, Kudsch explains that over 190 peoples live on the territory of Russia, speaking 270 languages. The expert warns:
“Many of them are at risk of extinction: several dozen languages have fewer than 20 living speakers. The development of large language models ‘switches’ this level of cultural heritage out of reality in the modern world.”
Kudsch adds that learning rare languages will become increasingly difficult. However, artificial intelligence can help preserve knowledge about them. Therefore, the rector makes a proposal:
“RTU MIREA proposes to establish a working group at the intersection of AI research and linguistics to develop a strategy for saving rare languages using the latest technologies, attract key developers of large and small language machine learning models to work on small models that repeat the linguistic structure of rare languages.”
The rector of RTU MIREA also suggests establishing funding programs for scientists and experts in the field of machine learning to support his initiative. Kudsch emphasized that the adoption of his proposal would allow for the preservation of dozens of rare languages on the territory of Russia.
According to the Russian Ministry of Education, 193 peoples live on the territory of the Russian Federation, speaking between 277 and 295 languages or dialects. The Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Linguistics counts 155 languages in Russia. In the state education system, 105 languages are represented, of which 24 are taught as a language and 81 as a subject.
In February, Konstantin Derewjanko, deputy head of the Council for the Implementation of State Policy in the Field of Support for the Russian Language and the Languages of the Peoples of Russia, warned that about a third of the 155 languages are at risk of extinction. Yuri Korjakov, leading scientific employee of the Russian Academy of Sciences, pointed out that languages in Russia are dying out faster than the global average. According to his data, seven percent of the languages that have become extinct in the 21st century were in Russia.
In June 2024, the Russian government approved the Concept of State Language Policy. The document sees the strengthening of mechanisms to protect the Russian language, but also emphasizes the importance of preserving linguistic diversity.