UNESCO discusses the internet of the future and launches project for cultural preservation

UNESCO created an international consortium called "TecLin" - Linguistic Technologies which brings together international experts in technological innovation in order to prepare the arrival of the internet 3.0: the "Semantic Web". It will be the Internet of computers with the power to contemplate and understand human thinking.

As Web 2.0 generated a technological breakthrough by providing interactivity among people, Web 3.0 will do something similar with machines and software that interpret human behavior.

This will allow, for example, more efficient searches, intelligent applications and real-time conversations in different languages. This will accelerate many aspects of human evolution since international trade (and jobs creation), cure and treatment of diseases, preservation of biodiversity and even colonization of Mars. It will also pass by an increase of efficiency of government services and development of democracy at global level.

The project is called UNESCO Chair on Language Technologies (TecLin). Its aim is to develop new technologies and use them for cultural preservation and heritage of humanity. The TecLin Consortium conducted its annual meeting in Florianopolis (Brazil) from October 25th to 29th, 2016 in order to discuss reports and advances in research, combining internal meetings with public presentation.

The Chair is coordinated and hosted by the Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain. It is formed by other three co-founding members: the Catholic University of Temuco (Chile), the i3G Institute (Brazil) and the Private Technological University of Loja (Ecuador). The first phase is focused on the development of technologies for the recovery and preservation of rare languages.

For this purpose the researchers of TecLin´s group launched a search engine called Indigenous Language Search – ILS that allows simultaneous searches in indigenous languages data bases and translates an expression for six indigenous languages at the same time.

The ILS works with the following languages: Guarani, Maya, Aymara, Kichwua Navajo-Apache and Aztec-Nahuatl. For instance, when the Internet user enters the word "ciudad" the related meanings are presented in the following 6 languages.

  • Kichwa: llakta
  • Guarani: tavaguasu
  • Navajo-Apache: kin łánítsoh
  • Maya: noh kaah
  • Azteca-NÁHUATL: altepetl
  • Aymara: marka

The aim of the project is to promote cultural preservation through technical and scientific development, approaching the academy to the business environment. ILS technology is an example provided by the company Synaption. The company released the Multisearch through the Brazilian center of TecLin Consortium, and also funds the maintenance and hosting tool.

For a near future one of the main decisions of TecLin Consortium will be placing on the market the technology called "MultiMail" that allows sending emails in multiple languages.

For this was set up a development nucleus between the companies Dail (Madrid), Synaption (Montevideo) and i3G Institute (Florianopolis).

International experts who have been to Florianopolis:

  • Jesus Cardeñosa, PhD in aerospace engineering and head of the artificial intelligence department of the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the UNESCO Chair international coordinator.
  • Rosaura del Val Izquierdo, Advisor of the Ministry of Health of Spain.
  • Arturo Hernández Sallés, PhD, Vice Rector of Extension and International Relations of the Catholic University of Temuco - Chile.
  • Luis Benjamin Irigoin Sanchez, PhD, Professor at the National University of the Andean Amazon - Peru.
  • Maria Laura Spina, Master in Computer Law, Legislative Advisor of the Chamber of Deputies in the Province of Santa Fe and Professor at the Law Faculty of University of Buenos Aires - Argentina.
  • Frankz Carrera,Master in Engineering and Computer Systems and Specialist in Audit Information Systems at University of the Andes – UNIANDES - Ecuador.
  • Mario Chauca Saavedra, Phd, Professor at University Ricardo Palma, Director of the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship - Kenshu Kiokay del Peru, General Chair ISIT2016 - International Institute of Innovation and Technology - Peru.
  • Paulo de Tarso Mendes Luna, President of CEITEC (microchips manufacturing company), PhD in Production Engineering and Professor at Federal University of Santa Catarina - Brazil
  • Gilvan Müller de Oliveira, PhD in Linguistics, Master in Linguistics by the University of Konstanz, Germany, Executive Secretary of the World Multilingualism Network – MAAYA, Professor at Federal University of Santa Catarina - Brazil
  • Roberto Gonzalez Siguero, Aeronautical Engineer Technician by the Polytechnic University of Madrid - Spain.

Along with the TecLin Consortium meeting was carried out the VI CONeGOV - eGovernment Conference, which had as its theme "Engineering Linguistics for Governments." The meetings were coordinated by PhD. Tania Bueno, scientist cited in Who'sWho in Science & Technology and coordinator of the UNESCO Chair in Brazil.According to Bueno´s "is fundamental that research use cutting-edge technology products”. The general coordination of TecLin Consortium is conducted by Jesus Cardeñosa, PhD from the University of Madrid.

More information:

ILS:

Technological Development Companies associated to TecLin: