Government attempts to use AI to translate Lagos laws into Yoruba

A three-day workshop has been organized by the Lagos State Law Reform Commission to use artificial intelligence to translate the state’s statutes into Yoruba.

Jubril Gawat, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, made this announcement in a statement that he shared on his X account on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the theme for the three-day event was “Unlocking AI Powered Translation: Enhancing Access to Lagos State Laws in indigenous languages.”

Gawat said the workshop was “with a view to boosting public order and safety, operational efficiency, and improved accessibility and scalability of Lagos State Laws.”

With many residents speaking it fluently, Lagos State’s diverse populace shares a common language: Yoruba.

A stakeholder engagement session on the proposed innovation bill was hosted in June by the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology.

The legislation aims to stimulate innovation and create a conducive atmosphere for the state’s technical progress.

The Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Olatubosun Alake, at an event in June, said, “The urgency of establishing a robust policy framework that encourages continuous innovation investment and drives Lagos to the forefront of the digital revolution.

“This is because it can encourage or discourage continuous innovation investment in the state. This engagement is in line with driving an innovation policy framework.”