Iceland's language is at risk of disappearing in as little as a generation due to the growing influence of AI and English media, warns former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir. The Icelandic language, which has only around 350,000 speakers, is being pushed to the edge by the increasing dominance of English, with young people in Iceland exposed to endless streams of material in English through social media and other digital platforms.
Jakobsdóttir believes that the loss of a language can have far-reaching consequences for a nation's identity and culture. "A lot of languages disappear, and with them dies a lot of value," she said. "We carry a huge responsibility to preserve our language." She notes that Iceland has been proactive in exploring the potential of AI to be used in Icelandic, but feels that more needs to be done to safeguard the language.
The former Prime Minister drew an analogy with Iceland's history under Danish rule, when the language was subject to significant influence. However, she noted that a strong movement is needed now to promote the preservation of the language, rather than just relying on government action. "Maybe we need a stronger movement right now to talk about why do we want to preserve the language?" she asked.
Jakobsdóttir's concerns are echoed by her co-author Ragnar Jónasson, who agrees that the language is in grave danger. The rise of AI and digital media has led to a decline in reading and speaking Icelandic, with younger generations preferring to communicate in English. "They are reading more in English, they are getting their information from the internet, from their phones, and kids in Iceland are even conversing in English sometimes between themselves," he said.
While Jakobsdóttir acknowledges that AI presents many opportunities, she believes it also poses significant challenges for authors and the creative industry. She has written a new novel set in 1989 in a remote Icelandic village, which aims to connect with readers on a human level. For Jakobsdóttir, reading and writing have always been therapeutic, helping her learn empathy and understand herself better.
The fate of a nation's language can be a deciding factor in its cultural identity, and Jakobsdóttir's concerns highlight the urgent need for action to protect Iceland's unique linguistic heritage.
Jakobsdóttir believes that the loss of a language can have far-reaching consequences for a nation's identity and culture. "A lot of languages disappear, and with them dies a lot of value," she said. "We carry a huge responsibility to preserve our language." She notes that Iceland has been proactive in exploring the potential of AI to be used in Icelandic, but feels that more needs to be done to safeguard the language.
The former Prime Minister drew an analogy with Iceland's history under Danish rule, when the language was subject to significant influence. However, she noted that a strong movement is needed now to promote the preservation of the language, rather than just relying on government action. "Maybe we need a stronger movement right now to talk about why do we want to preserve the language?" she asked.
Jakobsdóttir's concerns are echoed by her co-author Ragnar Jónasson, who agrees that the language is in grave danger. The rise of AI and digital media has led to a decline in reading and speaking Icelandic, with younger generations preferring to communicate in English. "They are reading more in English, they are getting their information from the internet, from their phones, and kids in Iceland are even conversing in English sometimes between themselves," he said.
While Jakobsdóttir acknowledges that AI presents many opportunities, she believes it also poses significant challenges for authors and the creative industry. She has written a new novel set in 1989 in a remote Icelandic village, which aims to connect with readers on a human level. For Jakobsdóttir, reading and writing have always been therapeutic, helping her learn empathy and understand herself better.
The fate of a nation's language can be a deciding factor in its cultural identity, and Jakobsdóttir's concerns highlight the urgent need for action to protect Iceland's unique linguistic heritage.
- on one hand it's gonna make life easier & more convenient but on the other hand it's also killin' our native languages left & right 
... I mean, 350k speakers? that's tiny 
. we gotta take responsibility for preservin' our heritage, not just rely on gov't 
... what's the point of havin' a strong language if nobody's speakin' it anymore? 
& btw, I'm all for innovation but can't we find a way to preserve our culture without losin' the ones that matter most? 
...
I mean, have you seen how few of us are left after a week? 
Anyway, Katrín Jakobsdóttir is right, we need a movement to save the language before it's too late. But let's be real, how many of us will actually join that movement? 
I mean, I've got notifications for every single thread on this forum and it's still hard to keep up with my own life 
. It's all so... digital 
. I mean, we're already livin' in a world where English is dominant, and it's hard enough for me to learn another language, but for Icelanders to lose their own language? That's like losin' a part of themselves 
. That was like, totally different times, you know? But what's for sure is that we need a strong movement to preserve our language and culture. I think it's time for Icelanders to come together and show they care about their heritage 
. We gotta act fast before it's too late, or we'll lose our unique voice forever 
.
this is so sad 
it's like 
losing a part of ur self u know? 
more needs 2 b done 
taking over the world & pushing out local languages 
we need a stronger movement 
2 promote preservation 
not just gov action 
it's like 
and identity 
for many ppl 
but AI is changing th way we communicate 
so we need 2 adapt 
and preserve our language 
. And AI being a factor? Yeah, that's just a given. It's like everyone expected it to happen eventually 
. Young people in Iceland are already more comfortable with English than their own language, what's next? Losing the plot of everything they know? 