Meet the robots programmed by kids to speak their Indigenous languages

Holden Hoy is creating a robot to help him learn Anishinaabemowin, an endangered Native American language, with guidance from his mentor, Danielle Boyer. Inspired by toys like Tickle Me Elmo, Boyer realized there were no toys teaching Anishinaabemowin, which includes Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe languages. With fewer than 10,000 speakers in the U.S., preserving this language is crucial. Boyer, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, understands the impact of language loss, as her grandmother is one of the last fluent speakers of their dialect. To engage Indigenous children, Boyer invented the SkoBot, a customizable robot that uses AI to teach Indigenous languages. These robots, resembling woodland creatures, aim to make language learning exciting. Through her nonprofit, Boyer has mentored many Native American children, emphasizing the importance of cultural preservation. QUESTION: How might the use of technology like SkoBot influence the preservation and revitalization of endangered languages in the future?