In a bold move to preserve cultural identity and improve educational outcomes, Mali is leveraging artificial intelligence to create learning materials in local languages.
This initiative, led by RobotsMali, is transforming the educational landscape following the country’s decision to replace French as the official language.
The project not only addresses an immediate need for native language resources but also showcases the potential of AI in preserving linguistic diversity and enhancing education across Africa.
Key Points:
- RobotsMali uses AI tools to create learning materials in Mali's national languages.
- The initiative gained urgency after Mali dropped French as the official language in 2023.
- Over 300 elementary school children have benefited from 107 AI-generated Bambara books.
- AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Translate are key to rapid content creation.
- The project aims to reduce school dropout rates and preserve local cultures.
Mali's Language Revolution From French to Local
In June 2023, Mali’s military government made a landmark decision to replace French with 13 local languages as official languages. This move, aimed at asserting cultural independence and improving educational outcomes, created an urgent need for educational materials in these languages. The shift represents a significant challenge for the education system, which had relied on French-language resources for decades.
Alou Dembele, a 27-year-old engineer and teacher, has been at the forefront of this transition. His experience illustrates the immediate impact of teaching in local languages. “When you have to explain a complex concept to the students in French, which isn’t even their native language, sometimes it takes them a long time to understand,” Dembele explains. “If I say ‘Two plus two’ to a child in the second grade, he has to think a lot… But if I say, ‘Ni ye fila fara fila kan,’ he will give me the answer right away.” This anecdote highlights the potential for improved learning outcomes when children are taught in their mother tongue.
RobotsMali Harnessing AI for Educational Innovation
RobotsMali, a government-backed initiative, stepped in to address the challenge of creating native language educational materials at scale. Using a combination of AI tools including ChatGPT, Google Translate, and Playground, the team has created an impressive 107 books in Bambara, Mali’s most widely spoken language, in less than a year. This rapid production of culturally relevant educational materials demonstrates the potential of AI to transform education in resource-constrained environments.
Michael Leventhal, RobotsMali’s co-founder, details their innovative process: “We generated stories using ChatGPT, and would then translate them into Bambara with Google Translate. The team then carefully curated a set of locally relevant images that matched the stories using Playground, an AI image generator tool.” This multi-step approach ensures that the content is not only linguistically appropriate but also visually engaging for young learners.
The RobotsMali team is acutely aware of the potential for AI to perpetuate stereotypes or present Eurocentric views. They’ve developed strategies to mitigate these risks. Leventhal notes, “Without adjusting prompts, African men and women most often are hypersexualized… We use a lot of negative prompts to remove these characteristics such as (NOT) sexy or showing bare skin.” This attention to cultural sensitivity ensures that the educational materials are not only linguistically appropriate but also culturally relevant to Malian children, setting a standard for AI-assisted content creation in diverse cultural contexts.
Government Collaboration and Cultural Preservation
The success of RobotsMali’s initiative has caught the attention of Mali’s education ministry, leading to a fruitful collaboration. The Department of Non-Formal Education and National Languages is now working closely with RobotsMali, with government officials being trained to create books in various local languages. This partnership demonstrates the potential for AI to support government efforts in education and cultural preservation.
Assétou Founé Samake, a former Malian minister of higher education and research, emphasizes the broader implications of this work: “Artificial intelligence will help a lot in making sure no language is marginalized. We don’t want languages to be marginalized, because every language contains a culture [and] knowledge that we must not lose.” This perspective highlights the role of AI not just in education, but in preserving cultural heritage and linguistic diversity.
The initiative’s impact extends beyond just creating books. In Mali, where 40%–60% of students drop out of school in the first six years, teaching in mother tongues could significantly reduce this rate. Professor Issiaka Ballo from the Bamako University of Arts and Sciences explains the psychological impact of language in education: “A child who leaves home where he speaks Bambara, you bring him into an environment where we don’t speak Bambara to him — we speak to him in French, a foreign language. What will this do to him? He will be disoriented because his linguistic environment does not allow him to understand what you are saying.” By providing education in local languages, Mali is not only preserving its cultural heritage but potentially improving educational outcomes and retention rates.
Balancing Local Education and Global Opportunities
While the shift to local language education is largely positive, it also raises questions about global competitiveness. Some students, like 13-year-old Abdoulaye Nimaga, express concerns about potential limitations: “It’s just in Mali that we speak Bambaba. So if you base yourself on just Bambara, when you go somewhere else, you won’t be able to understand anything.” This concern reflects a broader debate about the balance between preserving local languages and preparing students for a globalized world.
However, educators like Dembele believe that strong foundational learning in native languages will ultimately lead to better educational outcomes and global competitiveness. The ability to understand complex concepts in one’s mother tongue can provide a stronger base for learning additional languages and subjects later on. Moreover, the skills developed through AI-assisted learning – such as digital literacy and engagement with technology – are increasingly valuable in the global job market.
The Future of AI in African Education
RobotsMali’s initiative is part of a growing global trend of using AI to preserve and teach local languages. Similar projects are underway in Brazil, New Zealand, and across Africa, indicating a broader recognition of the importance of linguistic diversity in education and technology.
Leventhal sees this work as crucial for preserving linguistic diversity in the age of AI: “Generative AI will have a big impact on the way people search for information online, but the problem is that it’s only supported in a small number of languages — that basically serves the elite population of the world.” By developing AI tools and resources in local languages, initiatives like RobotsMali are working to democratize access to information and education.
As Mali continues to develop its AI-powered educational resources, it sets an example for how African nations can leverage technology to preserve cultural heritage while improving educational outcomes. The success of this project could pave the way for similar initiatives across the continent, potentially transforming education and cultural preservation efforts throughout Africa.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
To preserve cultural identity and improve educational outcomes by teaching students in their native languages.
RobotsMali uses tools like ChatGPT for content generation, Google Translate for translation, and Playground for creating culturally appropriate images.
It helps students understand concepts more quickly and may reduce school dropout rates.
Some students worry it might limit their global opportunities, but educators believe strong foundational learning in native languages will lead to better overall outcomes.
The education ministry is collaborating with RobotsMali and training officials to create books in various local languages.
