Tribune News Network
Doha
In a world where English dominates interactions with AI-driven technologies like Siri, Google Assistant, and others, Arabic speakers are increasingly finding themselves compelled to switch to English in order to fully access and engage with these tools. Despite the global reach of these technologies, language barriers remain a significant challenge for Arabic-speaking users who face limitations in their native tongue.
This shift not only impacts the daily communication of Arabic speakers but also poses a threat to the preservation and promotion of Arabic culture, literature, and traditions that are deeply intertwined with the language.
Recognising these challenges, the Arabic Language Technologies (ALT) team at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), has taken proactive measures to champion the use and growth of the Arabic language in digital spaces.
Dr Hamdy Mubarak Hussien, principal software engineer at QCRI’s ALT, says: “Preserving Arabic culture and identity is a core objective at QCRI. Our research, models, and applications are dedicated to elevating the Arabic language to its rightful place in the digital landscape.”
When asked about optimising different Arabic dialects, Dr Hussien says: “QCRI advances Dialectal Machine Translation models to understand various Arabic dialects, such as Qatari, and translate them into Modern Standard Arabic or English.”
“The Shaheen Platform, which is available online, supports text and speech translation, and can be customised for specific domains such as medical fields or government sectors. These technologies are actively utilised by news agencies and government entities both within Qatar and globally,” Dr Hussien says.
QCRI also developed advanced tools that help machines understand and process the Arabic language more effectively. These tools are used by many research institutions around the world for various applications, particularly in fields like education and media.
“Farasa Arabic Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools are utilised by hundreds of research institutions worldwide for applications in education and media, such as learning.aljazeera.net,” Dr Hussien says. “Additionally, QCRI’s machine translation systems are widely adopted by various organisations to enhance communication between Arabic-speaking communities and the rest of the world.”
QCRI’s machine translation systems enhance communication between Arabic-speaking communities and the global community by overcoming language barriers and ensuring that Arabic content is accessible and understood worldwide.
By advancing language technologies, these tools enable Arabic speakers to easily engage with digital platforms, access information, and actively participate in online global conversations.
