show index hide index
At the heart of technological innovation in the Basque Country, Elia, an advanced automatic translator, embodies significant advances in Elhuyar foundation in matters ofartificial intelligence. This translator, focused on Basque, uses the deep neural networks to provide superior reliability and efficiency. The tool is not only an essential resource for translation, but it asserts itself as a real language assistant, allowing users to use Basque with ease, while integrating harmoniously into modern technologies such as smartphone applications.
In the heart of the Basque Country, considerable technological progress has been made in the field of linguistic translation. The Elhuyar Foundation has developed Elia, an automatic Basque translator inspired by artificial intelligence. This translator, who uses deep neural networks, has distinguished himself by his ability to overcome the complex challenges posed by the Basque language, one of the oldest in Europe. This article explores the workings of this technology, its impact on the learning and use of Basque, and the importance of human intervention in the process.
The birth of Elia: An innovative Basque translator
Elia, an acronym for « Elhuyarren itzultzaile automatikoa », was born from the initiative of the Elhuyar Foundation, a pioneering institution based in Usurbil, in the province of Guipuzcoa. The tool was initially launched in 2019 under the name itzultzailea.eus and has evolved into a robust and reliable translation system. The development of Elia was made possible thanks to advances in deep neural networks, making it possible to process and interpret the Basque language more efficiently than old statistical models which had significant limitations.
The deep neural network approach
At the heart of the Elia translator is the technology of deep neural networks, which mimics the learning processes of the human brain. This machine learning method is based on the massification of linguistic data, facilitated by the growth of digitalization and the Internet. Rapid advances in graphics cards have significantly accelerated training times, allowing Elia to process a much greater volume of data. This improved the precision and fluency of the translations offered.
Elia: Use and advanced functions
Elia stands out for its ability to translate between six languages, including Basque, Spanish, French, English, Catalan and Galician. An intuitive mobile app makes the translator accessible anytime, anywhere, with voice transcription functionality added to enhance its usefulness. The system uses high-quality bilingual texts translated by experts to train its models, ensuring high accuracy in the results provided.
The importance of human intervention
Although Elia’s technology is advanced, the role of the human remains crucial. The translation process begins with human intervention for training the system. Quality bilingual texts, translated by professionals, serve as the basis for Elia’s learning. After the machine produces its results, they are carefully evaluated by translation experts to ensure their reliability. This highlights the need for ongoing human supervision to optimize the use of this translator.
The market and data confidentiality
Unlike giants like Google, which treat minority languages with less priority, Elhuyar is dedicated exclusively to the promotion of Basque and offers a guarantee of data confidentiality. Elia users can rest assured that their data will not be stored or reused, increasing trust in the tool for both individuals and businesses.
The future of Basque with Elia
The introduction of Elia has strengthened the use of Basque in various bilingual contexts, providing increased opportunities for interaction in this language. Although some translation professionals initially perceived Elia as a threat, many have understood the benefits of such technology and now use it as an assistant that simplifies and increases their efficiency in various translation projects. This dynamism illustrates Elia’s ability not only to facilitate multilingual communication, but also to revitalize the use of Basque in an innovative way.
