AI and the Yoruba Language

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In this episode, host Bidemi Ologunde follows the Yoruba language across continents: from Nigeria to Brazil, Cuba, the Caribbean, the U.K., and the U.S., and asks what happens when AI enters the story circle. Can a “virtual council of elders” help preserve òwe (proverbs), tone, and tradition in diaspora homes? What do we gain when technology records folktales, builds Yoruba chatbots, and supports heritage learners? What might we lose if screens replace living mentorship? How can families use AI to strengthen intergenerational transmission instead of outsourcing it? And what can Yoruba learn from other global languages working to survive and thrive in the digital age?

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