Closing the gap: A call for more inclusive language technologies

A growing body of work has identified a digital language divide: the disparity between languages in terms of digital content availability, accessibility, and technological support. This disparity between the world’s dominant languages (e.g., English, Spanish, Chinese, and French) and low-resourced languages, such as Malagasy and Navajo, is due to a variety of factors that create harm when such languages lack sufficient resources or technological support to thrive in the digital realm. Addressing the digital language divide thus requires not only technological advancements, but also a commitment to equitable resource distribution and the empowerment of local innovation. These actions will ensure that all languages across the world, and their speakers, can benefit from advancements in digital technology.