Biography
Dr. Rifqat Opeyemi Sanni is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nigerian Languages, Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Oto/Ijanikin, Lagos, Nigeria, where she also serves as the Acting Head of Department of Professional Bodies. Her teaching and research interests span Yoruba language, oral and written literature, folklore, traditional music, gender studies, and Yoruba cultural practices. Dr. Sanni has published in the areas of Yoruba literature, deity poetry, cultural heritage, and indigenous knowledge systems, and she has made notable contributions to language education and curriculum development in Nigeria. As a Yoruba curriculum expert and resource person for the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), she has contributed to the development and adaptation of curricula for bilingual education, special needs education, and open-school learning. Through her scholarship, curriculum work, and professional engagements, she continues to advance Yoruba studies and promote the relevance of indigenous African knowledge in contemporary education and society.
Conference contributions 1
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE PRESERVATION OF YORUBA LANGUAGE:
Opportunities, risks, and cultural implications
The emergence of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping language preservation and communication globally, creating new opportunities for the survival of indigenous languages. This study examines the potential of AI technologies to support the preservation and revitalization of the Yoruba language while exploring the associated cultural and linguistic challenges. Using a qualitative literature review approach, the study synthesizes existing scholarship on machine translation, speech recognition, natural language processing, and large language models in relation to indigenous language preservation. The paper investigates how effectively current AI systems represent Yoruba language structures, tonal features, literary devices, and culturally embedded meanings. It further explores the role of AI in promoting language learning, enhancing access to educational resources, increasing digital visibility, and encouraging language use among younger generations. However, the study identifies critical concerns, including language distortion, cultural misrepresentation, and the loss of contextual meanings when Yoruba expressions are translated or generated by AI systems trained predominantly on Western language datasets. Findings suggest that AI offers significant opportunities for documenting, preserving, and disseminating Yoruba language and cultural heritage through digital archives, intelligent learning platforms, and automated language tools. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of these technologies depends on the availability of culturally representative datasets and the active involvement of linguists and cultural experts in AI development. The study concludes that AI can serve as a valuable tool for Yoruba language preservation when guided by culturally responsive and ethically grounded frameworks. Collaborative efforts among AI developers, linguists, educators, and policymakers are essential to ensuring that technological innovation strengthens rather than diminishes indigenous language and cultural heritage.