Despite the United Nations’ advocacy of the “Global Digital Compact” to close the digital divide, the “centralized nature” of AI technology is widening this gap, especially in the Global South, including Africa.”

Large language models (LLMs), for example, rely predominantly on English-language corpora, reflecting a worldview rooted in what developers often term WEIRD — Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic — biases. This design not only perpetuates technological inequities but also diminishes the representation of multilingual communities in the global digital ecosystem. For African languages, these challenges are exacerbated by a lack of data corpora, standardized writing systems, and supporting infrastructure, further marginalizing these languages and cultures in the AI age.

In Africa, the asymmetry of data and technology can be seen as a form of “data colonialism.” Unlike traditional colonialism, which focused on material resources, data colonialism concerns the extraction and control of data. In the context of limited infrastructure and a lack of data protection laws, African data producers often find themselves in a passive position, subject to the monopoly of global tech providers. True digital decolonization requires a paradigm shift — one powered by decentralized protocols such as those championed by LingoAI, MetaLife.social, SmartMesh, and SOLID. These innovations aim to restore data sovereignty and create a fairer digital future for Africa.

Preserving Swahili Language through AI:

A Journey with LingoAI and Tanzanian AI Enthusiasts

The Swahili language, or Kiswahili, stands out as one of the most widely spoken African languages, possessing deep cultural and historical significance. Spoken by approximately 500 million people worldwide, it ranks among the world’s top 10 most spoken languages. Swahili is recognized as an official language of the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Pan-African Parliament, according to a UN report. It is predominantly spoken in Tanzania, where it serves as the national language, and is widely used in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Zambia, and parts of Somalia and Malawi. Beyond serving as a means of communication, it is a powerful cultural symbol and a bridge connecting Africa’s rich traditions to its dynamic future as the most spoken language on the continent.

Swahili’s prominence is rooted in its unique features:

● Swahili belongs to the Bantu language family but has been enriched by words and influences from Arabic, Persian, Portuguese, English, and other languages, reflecting centuries of trade and cultural exchanges along the East African coast.

● It is the official language of Tanzania and Kenya and one of the official languages of the AU, EAC, and SADC, symbolizing its political and cultural importance.

● Swahili is relatively easy to learn because it is phonetic, with words pronounced as written, making it accessible for beginners.

● Its straightforward grammatical structure appeals to native speakers and learners, enhancing its adoption as a second language across Africa and worldwide.

● Swahili plays a central role in East African culture, literature, and music, shaping traditional songs, poetry, and modern pop genres like Bongo Flava.

As the world embraces an era shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI), including diverse languages like Swahili in AI models is crucial. Swahili is increasingly recognized globally, taught in universities, and gaining prominence as a tool for diplomacy, business, and education. Training large language models (LLMs) that effectively serve global users requires robust, high-quality datasets for each language. However, many African languages, including Swahili, remain underrepresented in AI datasets Link. This underrepresentation risks cultural marginalization and limits the accessibility and relevance of AI innovations for Swahili speakers, underscoring the urgent need for inclusive AI development.

Why Swahili is Crucial for AI Development

Swahili is more than a language; it is a cultural treasure and a unifying force for Eastern Africa. Spoken by approximately 500 million people worldwide, it is one of the most widely spoken African languages and a bridge connecting diverse cultures and traditions. As an official language in Tanzania, Kenya, and several regional organizations such as the African Union (AU) and the East African Community (EAC), Swahili has immense potential to shape AI technologies that cater to the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

AI-powered tools tailored to Swahili speakers could revolutionize accessibility and inclusivity across various sectors. For instance, a Swahili-trained large language model (LLM) could be the backbone for educational tools, offering personalized learning experiences to students in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and beyond. Similarly, it could transform healthcare initiatives, providing accurate and culturally resonant medical guidance in a language understood by millions. These applications underscore the importance of AI tools that reflect and respect the linguistic and cultural context of Swahili speakers.

However, realizing these possibilities depends on building robust Swahili datasets to train AI models effectively. Capturing Swahili’s linguistic nuances, cultural richness, and contextual depth is critical to ensuring AI systems resonate with and serve the needs of Swahili speakers Link. Despite its global prominence, Swahili and many other African languages remain underrepresented in AI datasets, risking cultural marginalization and limiting the relevance of AI innovations in the region. This underrepresentation not only limits the accessibility of AI innovations but also risks perpetuating cultural marginalization.

As AI continues to shape the future, the inclusion of Swahili is not just an opportunity but a necessity to ensure technological equity and cultural representation. Investing in Swahili AI development is essential for fostering inclusion, empowering local communities, and ensuring that Africa’s linguistic diversity is celebrated and leveraged in the digital era.

LingoAI and the SwahiliDAO Vision

Gloriana Monko, a Tanzanian AI expert currently based in Tokyo, is at the forefront of championing initiatives that prioritize inclusivity in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Representing SwahiliDAO, a decentralized organization aimed at preserving and advancing the Swahili language and culture, Gloriana is dedicated to ensuring that African languages like Swahili are integral to developing Large Language Models (LLMs). Her extensive experience in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and passion for AI’s transformative potential make her a pivotal figure in this mission.

Gloriana recently had the privilege of meeting Henry Wang, Founder of SmartMesh, World Web3 Alliance (W3A), Advisor for LingoAI, MetaLife.Social and MeshBox, as well as Una Wang, Founder and CEO of LingoAI. Both Henry and Una are Founding Member for Singapore IGF recognized by United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum. They designed LingoAI architecture ensures that global users no longer rely on centralized application platforms. Instead, through protocols like SOLID, designed by Tim Berners-Lee(the founding father of the World Wide Web), and the MetaLife.Social Decentralized Social Network Protocol, users can take full control of their continuously generated data and privacy.

Users can freely carry their data and roam across any Web3.0 application, creating the principle of “My data, my ownership. Users can authorize applications to use their data, while model companies can access Web3.0 datasets legally and compliantly after paying for usage.

In return, systems like LingoAI and MetaLife will leverage blockchain and cryptocurrency mechanisms to enable users to monetize the value of their data, creating a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for users in the AI era.

Through their approach to reshaping connectivity, LingoAI and the SmartMesh ecosystem have completely solved humanity’s bottleneck of the data wall. The continuous flow of newly generated data from both the physical and virtual worlds can now be fed into large models via LanguageDAO and DataDAO, accelerating the realization and sustainable development of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and BGI (Beneficial General Intelligence).

Gloriana, Henry, and Una’s discussion focused on a collaborative effort to contribute Swahili datasets that bridge the AI divide while empowering Tanzania’s AI community to innovate and build local solutions. This partnership with LingoAI marks a crucial step in ensuring Swahili’s representation in global AI technologies.

In collaboration with Tanzanian AI enthusiasts and native Swahili speakers, LingoAI is pioneering efforts to ensure that Swahili is well-represented in the AI landscape. This initiative, called SwahiliDAO, is a decentralized organization committed to preserving and advancing the Swahili language and culture through technology.

SwahiliDAO operates without centralized leadership, emphasizing the community’s collective effort to safeguard their heritage. By leveraging decentralized models it ensures that the process remains inclusive and participatory, reflecting the diversity of Swahili speakers.

One of SwahiliDAO’s key projects is creating a Swahili corpus for training LLMs. This involves gathering extensive datasets encompassing the richness of the Swahili language and culture, from traditional proverbs and modern expressions to scientific terminologies. Swahili experts, including linguists from BAKITA (Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa), will validate the datasets. The corpus will provide a comprehensive foundation for AI models to learn and generate Swahili text with accuracy and relevance.

The Role of Tanzanian AI Enthusiasts and Native Speakers

The success of SwahiliDAO lies in the hands of Tanzanian AI enthusiasts and native speakers who are driving this mission forward. Their involvement ensures the datasets are authentic, diverse, and representative of real-world Swahili usage.

Tanzanian contributors bring a unique perspective to the initiative, bridging the gap between technology and culture. By collecting data, annotating it, and validating the AI outputs, they are shaping an AI future that reflects their language and identity.

Join the Movement: Contribute and Earn

LingoAI invites everyone — academics, developers, students, and native speakers — to join the movement. Contributors can earn rewards while playing a vital role in preserving and advancing the Swahili language. Whether by contributing text data, validating AI outputs, or spreading awareness, every effort counts.

By supporting this initiative, you not only aid in creating cutting-edge AI technologies but also help preserve Swahili for future generations. Together, we can ensure that no language or culture is left behind in the AI revolution.

Join the Campaign: Crowdfunding LingoPods for Language Preservation

LingoAI Partners with AMLOK to Preserve Languages and Bridge AI Divides. AMLOK will provide crowdfunding support to advance LingoAI’s mission of preserving languages and enhancing global connectivity through cutting-edge AI and decentralized infrastructure.

Through AMLOK’s next-generation crowdfunding platform, LingoAI will launch a series of campaigns to fund the deployment of LingoPod — the world’s first Web3 AI-powered wearable smart earphones. These devices will be distributed to underserved communities in the Global South, helping to preserve endangered languages and foster multilingual communication. This initiative aligns with the UN’s vision of leveraging AI for the benefit of the global majority.

By contributing to this campaign, you are funding the production and deployment of LingoPods, empowering these communities to preserve their cultural heritage while participating in the digital economy. Click to sign up https://amlok.tech/backer-sign-up/

As a backer, you’ll receive an NFT representing your contribution, tied to the real-world impact of the LingoPod you’ve helped deploy. Redeem your NFT in MetaLife Social to activate earning opportunities tied to the LingoPod’s contributions, such as language data collection or AI-powered outputs.

Conclusion

The collaboration between LingoAI, Tanzanian AI enthusiasts, and Swahili speakers marks a small step towards inclusive AI development and data sovereignty, but it will be a giant leap for the “Global Digital Compact.” By building a robust Swahili corpus and promoting decentralized ownership through SwahiliDAO, this initiative will transform how AI interacts with African languages. As AI reshapes industries and societies, including Swahili in LLMs will unlock opportunities and empower millions of users. Following SwahiliDAO, LingoAI will establish language DAOs for all African languages. Let us unite to protect African languages and cultures while harnessing the potential of AI for good.