In conjunction with the annual West Nordic Day at the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands on Monday, September 23rd, a conference on AI was held. Experts, companies, and politicians gathered to discuss the future prospects for the Faroe Islands and AI. Iben Nyholm Debess from the Centre for Language Technology at the University of the Faroe Islands gave a presentation that highlighted the current situation of the Faroe Islands and the challenges we face in preserving the Faroese language in the digital world – and why it is important to be able to use technology in our native language. After the presentations, there was a panel discussion about opportunities, collaborations, and the future.
With the same aim – to bring focus to AI – an appeal was recently sent to the Faroese government. In a public letter, several organizations and institutions have called on the political system to put AI on the agenda. The letter emphasizes how quickly AI is developing and how it affects Faroese society – from language and culture to industry and healthcare. It is stated that a clear political plan is essential to address both the opportunities and challenges that this technology brings.
The appeal can be read here.
Staff from the Centre for Language Technology have been part of the preparatory work for the political appeal. The Centre for Language Technology continuously works to improve the conditions for language technology and AI in the Faroe Islands. AI is breaking more and more barriers in our society, and it is becoming increasingly urgent that we truly prioritize work in this area.
