Dr Erdocia contributes editorial Urging Deeper Understanding of Language in era of AI

27/03/2025

DCU researchers are calling for a radical rethink of how we study language in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world. A recent editorial by Dr Iker Erdocia and collaborators, published in the Wiley Journal of Sociolinguistics, argues that current approaches to language research fail to capture the complex realities of how language functions in modern technological landscapes.

The piece highlights critical concerns about treating language as merely as data. The authors trace this problem back to colonial linguistic practices that reduced language to structured lists and categories, a tradition that persists in contemporary digital research.

In particular, the dominance of a few American tech companies that collect and monetize language data presents a real danger, the piece argues. It describes this situation as a form of "data colonialism," where human communication is transformed into a commercial product.

The study also points out significant disparities in language technology. Many languages, especially those from smaller or less-resourced communities, are effectively erased from digital spaces due to limited data sets and technological infrastructure.

The authors argue that sociolinguists must now not only study how people use language, but also understand the complex technological and commercial systems that shape linguistic experiences. This includes examining how AI technologies are developed, who controls them, and their broader social impacts.

As digital technologies continue to reshape communication, this research serves as a critical call to reimagine how we understand, study, and value language in an increasingly connected world.