Iceland’s former prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, has stated that the Icelandic language could possibly be worn out in as little as a technology as a result of sweeping rise of AI and encroaching English language dominance.
Katrín, who stood down as prime minister final yr to run for president after seven years in workplace, stated Iceland was present process “radical” change when it got here to language use. Extra individuals are studying and talking English, and fewer are studying in Icelandic, a development she says is being exacerbated by the best way language fashions are educated.
She made the feedback earlier than her look on the Iceland Noir crime fiction competition in Reykjavík after the shock launch of her second novel of the style, which she co-wrote with Ragnar Jónasson.
“Loads of languages disappear, and with them dies numerous worth[and] numerous human thought,” she stated. Icelandic has solely about 350,000 audio system and is among the many world’s least-altered languages.
“Having this language that’s spoken by so only a few, I really feel that we feature an enormous duty to really protect that. I don’t personally assume we’re doing sufficient to do this,” she stated, not least as a result of younger individuals in Iceland “are completely surrounded by materials in English, on social media and different media”.
Katrín has stated that Iceland has been “fairly proactive” in pushing for AI to be usable in Icelandic. Earlier this month, Anthropic introduced a partnership with Iceland’s ministry of training, one of many world’s first nationwide AI training pilots. The partnership is a nationwide pilot throughout Iceland – giving tons of of academics throughout Iceland entry to AI instruments.
Throughout her time in authorities, Katrín stated they might see the “threats and risks of AI” and the significance of making certain that Icelandic texts and books have been used to coach it.
Ragnar Jónasson, her co-author, agreed that the language was in grave hazard. “We’re only a technology away from shedding this language as a result of all of those large modifications,” he stated.
“They’re studying extra in English, they’re getting their data from the web, from their telephones, and children in Iceland are even conversing in English typically between themselves.”
Citing what occurred when Iceland was beneath Danish rule till 1918, when the Icelandic language was subjected to Danish affect, Katrín stated modifications may occur “in a short time”.
“We now have seen that earlier than right here in Iceland as a result of we after all have been beneath the Danes for fairly a very long time and the Danish language had numerous affect on the Icelandic language.”
Thatchange, nonetheless, was circled quickly by a powerful motion by Icelanders, she added.
“Possibly we want a stronger motion proper now to speak about why will we wish to protect the language? That’s actually the massive factor that we ought to be speaking about right here in Iceland,” she stated, including that the “destiny of a nation” could possibly be selected the way it handled its language, as language formed the best way individuals thought.
after publication promotion
Whereas there are “wonderful alternatives” that AI may current, she stated it posed monumental challenges to authors and the inventive business as an entire.
Beforehand, she thought that the existence of human authors have been essential to readers, however after discovering that people had forged relationships with AI she was no longer so certain.
“We’re in a really difficult time and my private opinion is that governments ought to keep very centered on the event of AI.”
Amid all of the change and speak of AI domination, Katrín hopes her new ebook, which soared to the highest of the charts in Iceland and is about in 1989 in Fáskrúðsfjörður, a distant village in jap Iceland, connects with readers on a human degree.
On analysis journeys the writers spoke to villagers who have been working in Icelandic media within the Nineteen Eighties for background on their lead character, who’s a journalist.
“I hope that is one thing individuals expertise as one thing genuine and coming from the guts,” she stated.
For Katrín, studying and writing have at all times been therapeutic. “You be taught extra empathy while you examine others, you perceive your self higher,” she stated.
