The Power of Language: Shaping Our World and Expanding Access Through Technology
Language is more than communication—it shapes the way we perceive the world, define our identities, and engage with knowledge. Yet, many dominant global systems prioritize a few languages, limiting access to education, governance, and technology for those who speak indigenous or minority languages. This session will explore how language influences the world we inhabit and how technology can empower people to engage in their mother tongues. How can AI, translation tools, and digital platforms make information more accessible across linguistic divides? What role does language preservation play in sustaining cultural heritage and knowledge systems? How can we design technology and global conversations to be truly multilingual and inclusive, rather than reinforcing existing power imbalances?
Through this discussion, we will examine the intersections of language, technology, and power—highlighting innovations that ensure linguistic diversity is not a barrier, but a bridge to greater participation, knowledge-sharing, and equity.
Key Questions:
How does language shape the way we understand and navigate the world?
What are the challenges and opportunities in making digital spaces, governance, and education more accessible in diverse languages?
How can technology, from AI translation to voice recognition, expand linguistic inclusion? What role do mother tongues play in preserving indigenous knowledge and strengthening local communities?
How can we move toward a more multilingual future in global discourse, policy, and technological design?
This session will create space for exploring howlanguageis both a tool and a gateway to a more inclusive and connected world—one where all voices, in alllanguages, are heard and valued.
Session Co-Leaders:
Aimee Ansari is the Chief Executive of CLEAR Global, a disruptor in the aid sector leveraging language technology to ensure people have agency, no matter what language they speak.
Atif Javed is a humanitarian technologist and founder of Tarjimly, using AI to break language barriers in the humanitarian sector, aiding over half a million displaced people.
Eleanor North is a Resource Development and Impact Manager with an academic background in Linguistics and the revitalisation and documentation of endangered / minoritised languages, mother tongue literacy, language policy and linguistic rights