Championing Cultural Diversity: South Africa's Call for Inclusive Language Technologies at G20

South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Peace Mabe, addressed the G20 Culture Working Group, emphasizing the need for AI and human language technologies to promote cultural diversity and equitable access. Held at the Luthuli Museum, the gathering highlighted the role of languages in sustainable development.

The meeting, attended by international organizations like UNESCO and G20 delegates, underlined the potential of languages as economic drivers. Mabe called for leveraging digital innovation and AI to protect indigenous languages and foster social cohesion, pointing to the International Decade of Indigenous Languages as a framework for action.

Mabe stressed the importance of collaboration across sectors to safeguard cultural heritage and drive growth, advocating for investment in linguistic diversity as a means to unlock innovation and inclusive economic opportunities both in Africa and globally.