Technology · Malaysia Bureau
AI and digital tools offer lifeline for endangered Dusun language
Sabah's deputy chief minister has highlighted the critical role that artificial intelligence and digital technology can play in documenting and preserving the Dusun language for future generations. The intervention comes as the indigenous language faces pressures from modernisation and shifting communication patterns.
LSN Malaysia ·
KOTA KINABALU — Digital innovation and artificial intelligence represent powerful tools for safeguarding the Dusun language, a key indigenous tongue spoken in Sabah, according to the state's deputy chief minister.
The comments underscore growing recognition among regional policymakers that technological solutions can complement traditional preservation efforts. AI-powered platforms can facilitate language documentation, create accessible learning resources, and enable wider dissemination of linguistic materials to younger generations who increasingly engage with digital media.
The Dusun language, spoken by an estimated 400,000 people primarily in Sabah, faces mounting challenges from globalisation and the dominance of Malay and English in education and commerce. Digital archives and AI-assisted tools offer scalable methods to record vocabulary, grammar structures, and cultural knowledge embedded within the language.
Experts suggest that comprehensive language preservation strategies should combine technological innovation with community engagement and formal education initiatives. Such an integrated approach could help reverse language shift while ensuring that digital tools serve to strengthen rather than replace traditional knowledge transmission within Dusun communities.