Google’s Woolaroo platform, launched in 2021 and aimed at reviving endangered languages, has quietly added Laz to its vocabulary with a recent update. Powered by the company’s most advanced AI model, Gemini, this system is now more than just a translation tool; it’s also becoming a digital ambassador for a cultural revitalization project. Users can take a photo of an object they encounter in their daily lives, such as a tea glass or a local architectural element called a “serender,” and learn its Laz equivalent in seconds, complete with audio pronunciation.
Why Laz?
Google’s move carries far deeper meaning than simply adding language support. The company’s announcement of the project, titled “The Heartbeat of an Ancient Civilization: Preserving Laz,” reveals the philosophy behind this choice. Laz, part of the South Caucasian language family and bearing a historical heritage dating back to the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Lazica, is classified as “certainly endangered” by UNESCO.
At a time when the number of native speakers is steadily declining under the pressures of globalization, urbanization, and assimilation policies, Laz is not only a means of communication but also holds ancient knowledge about the region’s unique biodiversity. As Google’s statement emphasizes, “the names of various plants that Western scientists have yet to discover” are hidden within this language’s vocabulary. Therefore, while teaching a cup of Laz, Woolaroo actually opens the door to thousands of years of observation, experience, and wisdom.
However, Google isn’t the only hero in this story. The Laz community has been proactively using technology to keep their language alive for years. Online courses organized under the leadership of the Laz Institute, Laz being taught as an elective course in secondary schools, the first printed dictionaries and books, and the development of keyboards and mobile applications are the most important building blocks of this cultural resistance.
The relevant department, making a statement on the matter, said, “Google’s step has confirmed on a global scale the justification and importance of our years-long struggle. Woolaroo is an invaluable, entertaining, and interactive tool for stimulating interest in the language, especially among younger generations. However, this technology is a tool, not an end in itself. What truly matters is the Laz people’s will to protect their language. We see it as Google adding the most modern fuel to the fire we’ve lit, and we are very excited about this collaboration.”
The AI power behind the project, Google’s most advanced language model Gemini, increases the accuracy of translations and the system’s learning capacity. This means the project can move beyond a static dictionary and become dynamic, capable of learning more words and dialect variations over time.
Google’s step also reiterates the role and responsibility of tech giants in preserving cultural heritage. Woolaroo’s support of Laz sets a beacon of hope and a precedent for other endangered languages in Turkey and around the world.
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