AI, smaller languages and linguistic diversity
AI opens up access to knowledge, but not all languages are equally represented.
What is it?
AI can open up knowledge in more languages and help people with disabilities. But not all languages are equally represented in training data, so models often work less well in smaller languages such as Slovenian.
An everyday example
A chatbot answers flawlessly in English but gets the grammatical cases wrong in Slovenian or uses odd expressions.
Why does it matter?
If AI works well only in the big languages, inequality in access to services, education and public administration grows.
A common misconception
That language is just a matter of translating words. A good answer also has to take culture, the legal framework and local meaning into account.
In more detail
Why are smaller languages such as Slovenian a particular challenge?
Because for many systems there are fewer high-quality examples for training and testing than for the world’s biggest languages.
How can AI help?
With subtitles, voice access, translation, easier reading and rewriting specialist texts in plain language.
Where are the dangers?
Invented terminology, wrong grammatical forms, cultural misunderstanding and crowding out human creators.
What can we check?
Specialist terms, proper names, grammar and the meaning in the real context.
Remember: Language is not just translating words; it is also culture and meaning.
Reliable sources
Last reviewed 1 November 2026. An explainer, not professional, legal or medical advice. For rules and figures that change, check the official version.