MIT’s CSAIL created an AI model that reconstructs dead languages like Hittite (an ancient Anatolian tongue) by analyzing fragments of texts and cross-referencing linguistic relatives.
Technical Insight:
- Uses transformer models to map phonetic and grammatical patterns across 400+ Indo-European languages.
- Successfully translated 15% of untranslated Hittite tablets from the Bronze Age.
Applications:
- Cultural Preservation: Reviving indigenous languages (e.g., Native American Wampanoag).
- Historical Research: Decoding cryptic inscriptions on archaeological artifacts.
Criticism: AI risks introducing inaccuracies without native speakers to validate outputs.