Language evolution 'in silico'

From large-scale data to artificial agents creating languages from scratch

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.15.27692

Keywords:

language, evolution, artificial intelligence, typology, universals

Abstract

We all speak a language and have intuitions about it: from its vocabulary to the way words are put together according to its grammar. However, much is still to be understood about the processes that make language even possible and those that shape its evolution. Recent computational advances have enabled us to address these issues from new angles. This article highlights methods and findings that the age of computation has given rise to, from learning from large-scale data from thousands of languages to the evolution of languages created by artificial intelligence.

 

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Author Biography

Thomas Brochhagen, Pompeu Fabra University

Tenure-track professor in computational cognitive science at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s Department of Translation and Language Sciences (Spain). His research interests include language evolution, artificial intelligence, Bayesian models, and statistics.

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Published

2024-09-30

How to Cite

Brochhagen, T. (2024). Language evolution ’in silico’: From large-scale data to artificial agents creating languages from scratch. Metode Science Studies Journal, (15). https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.15.27692
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Issue

No. 15: Volume 15 (Online first)

Section

Digital humanities

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