Robots programmed by kids to speak their Indigenous languages
3 hours ago
- Danielle Boyer invented the SkoBot, a customizable toy robot to teach Indigenous children Anishinaabemowin, including Potawatomi, Odawa, and Ojibwe languages.
- Fewer than 10,000 people in the U.S. and about 25,000 in Canada speak Anishinaabemowin; language loss is devastating and linked to U.S. Indian boarding schools.
- SkoBots use pre-recorded audio and basic AI, not generative AI, to avoid hallucinations and false information about Indigenous languages.
- Through her nonprofit, Boyer has mentored hundreds of Native children, like 12-year-old Holden Hoy, who built and programmed his own SkoBot named Sabe.
- The goal is to spark interest in language, STEM, and ethical AI use, while helping kids reconnect with their heritage; language and culture are inseparable.