Will LLM Take Away Language from Humans?
Will humans stop learning other languages?
This was a question I was thinking about during my flight back from Bangkok where I attended a summit of computational linguists from the region, to discuss languages.
We have seen since November 2022, the popularity rise of LLMs thanks to ChatGPT. One of the popular use cases that was presented was machine translation. Since then many have commented that certain LLMs have done a better job of language translation for certain languages.
The argument is valid that as LLMs improve with the conversion from text to speech to text getting more accurate and faster, we could better travel and speak in our native language.
Further, there is an argument that we do not need to learn other languages going forward. This argument seems frivolous and again trivializes what languages encompass.
An example would be feeling closer to a stranger who speaks your language. The happening helps to form a bond and sends a signal that a stranger values your culture and history.
This leads to also learning a language helps to create a good understanding of a civilization's culture and history, helping us to keep an open mind, keep learning active, and appreciate the differences among the similarities.
The argument that computer chess bots will destroy chess has been around for the longest time but looking at GO, people are still fascinated by it, etc. (as shared in my previous issue here.)
Thus I think humans with interest will still be motivated to learn other languages and in the process, preserve history and past culture, allowing past knowledge and concepts to be passed down further. From an economic/tourism perspective, LLMs definitely can reduce any friction due to language barriers which most countries’ tourism boards should consider. :)
What are your thoughts? I very much enjoy discussions that present many perspectives. If you do, consider reaching out to me on LinkedIn.
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