Big Tech Won’t Revitalize Indigenous Languages w/ Keoni Mahelona

Paris Marx is joined by Keoni Mahelona to discuss the colonial nature of data extraction by major tech companies, and how Te Hiku takes a very different approach to revitalize the Māori language. Keoni Mahelona is the Chief Technology Officer at Te Hiku Media. Follow Keoni on Twitter at @mahelona.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Follow the podcast (@techwontsaveus) and host Paris Marx (@parismarx) on Twitter, and support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is produced by Eric Wickham and part of the Harbinger Media Network.

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Keoni and some of his colleagues wrote • about why OpenAI’s Whisper is another example of colonialism. Wired • and MIT Tech Review • have written about the work Te Hiku is doing with Māori language in Aotearoa New Zealand. • Mark Zuckerberg owns a lot of land in Hawaiʻi • , and it’s quite controversial.

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