37.1594, Confs: Exploring African Language Models: Bringing Together African Linguistics and AI Research (United Kingdom)

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-37-1594. Wed Apr 29 2026. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 37.1594, Confs: Exploring African Language Models: Bringing Together African Linguistics and AI Research (United Kingdom)

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Date: 27-Apr-2026
From: Lutz Marten [lm5 at soas.ac.uk]
Subject: Exploring African Language Models: Bringing Together African Linguistics and AI Research


Exploring African Language Models: Bringing Together African
Linguistics and AI Research

Date: 08-Jul-2026 - 09-Jul-2026
Location: London, United Kingdom
Contact: SOAS Centre for African Studies
Contact Email: cas at soas.ac.uk
Meeting URL:
https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/news/call-papers-soas-gsma-workshop-exploring-african-language-models-bringing-together

Linguistic Field(s): Computational Linguistics; Language
Documentation; Lexicography; Text/Corpus Linguistics; Translation

Submission Deadline: 10-May-2026

There has been tremendous progress in the development of large
language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence (AI) applications
over the last decades. However, the majority of work has focussed on a
small number of well-described, mainly European languages. Yet in
order to fully harness the advantages of the AI revolution, no
language should be left behind – including African languages.
Africa is home to about 2,000 languages, ranging from major world
languages like Swahili to many underdescribed community languages. In
this workshop we explore aspects of LLM and AI for and based on
African languages, bringing together AI researchers, linguists,
translators, computer scientists and practitioners to exchange
experiences and views for a mutually enriching dialogue, leading to a
fuller understanding of the current state of the art, conceptual and
practical challenges, and theoretical and methodological underpinnings
of African languages and AI.
We invite abstracts for 20-minute presentations addressing topics
related to African languages and AI, addressing questions such as:
 - Can linguists highlight challenges that make it hard for AI
researchers to encode meaning in models?
 - What are problems related to misinformation through AI and how can
we build appropriate benchmarks for African languages?
 - How to address multilingualism, code-switching and translanguaging
in language models for African languages?
 - How can language models for African languages address issues
related to register and style, taboo, and offensive language?
 - How can AI be harnessed for all African languages (including e.g.
languages of wider communication, community languages and endangered
languages)?
 - What are important issues related to research ethics and research
integrity in the field?
Abstracts should be no longer than one page, with optionally one
additional page for data or references. Authors may submit at most two
abstracts, only one which can be single-authored. Please indicate
whether you are planning to attend in person or online. Abstracts
should be submitted by 10 May 2026 to cas at soas.ac.uk.
The workshop is organised by the Centre for African Studies and the
Department of Linguistics at SOAS University of London in
collaboration with GSMA and will be held at SOAS in person and
online/hybrid



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