9-19-24: Vukosi Marivate: A New Agenda for African Languages x AI: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

Vukosi Marivate is an Associate Professor at the University of Pretoria (South Africa), where he also holds the prestigious ABSA UP Chair of Data Science. His expertise lies in the fields of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the development of solutions for local or low-resource languages. As the leader of the Data Science for Social Impact group, Professor Marivate spearheads impactful projects across diverse sectors such as energy and public safety, leveraging cutting-edge technologies to address pressing societal challenges.

Professor Marivate is also an entrepreneur and innovator in the field of AI. He co-founded Lelapa AI, a pioneering startup dedicated to advancing AI technologies for the African continent. He is a co-founder of the Masakhane NLP research foundation, which is dedicated to promoting NLP research and development in African languages. Professor Marivate is also a co-founder of the esteemed Deep Learning Indaba, a transformative initiative aimed at fostering collaboration and skill development in the field of deep learning across the African continent and beyond.

In his talk, Professor Marivate will discuss the crucial role of community building in developing technologies for African languages in the age of AI. He will touch upon the unique challenges and opportunities in fostering collaboration for African languages, developing technologies that respects and empowers communities, and his vision for the future of technology and community engagements in African languages.

Simon Gikandi, Chair of Princeton's Department of English, will serve as a respondent and moderate the Q&A.