Sign language in the era of Artificial Intelligence
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Detalles
This publication, Sign Language in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, builds upon the introduction of the present volume. It brings together legal, academic, and community perspectives from across the EU at a time when the rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping—and directly impacting—the conditions for communication, accessibility, and human rights for deaf people. AI is already being integrated into public services, education systems, and digital platforms, and its use is expanding throughout European society. The European deaf community is no exception. Yet this broad shift towards AI risks threatening the already fragile status of sign languages. Increasingly, companies are investing in automated translation tools and AI-generated avatars, presenting them as cost-effective alternatives to professional and accredited national sign language interpreters. However, these developments often fail to meaningfully involve deaf communities or reflect the linguistic and cultural integrity of sign languages. When AI is developed without such foundations, it risks reinforcing exclusion rather than addressing it. In other words, even significant financial investment will be wasted if the resulting tools are not accepted or welcomed by deaf communities. It is therefore essential to adopt a co-creation approach, ensuring ownership by the European deaf community.