Choctaw Nation preserves its language using a fine-tuned Llama AI translation system on Oracle AI infrastructure
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, whose native language has dwindled to about 300 first-language speakers, built an AI-powered translation application using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Data Science, OCI AI infrastructure, and Oracle APEX. Tribal linguists fine-tuned Meta's Llama large language models to validate translations between English and Choctaw. When a translation request comes in, an AI agent uses the fine-tuned Llama model with retrieval-augmented generation to consult dictionary resources and validated translation databases, generating a proposed translation that human linguists then review and refine. The application can extract and validate translation pairs from historical documents such as 19th-century newspapers and interview transcripts. Using Oracle AI infrastructure and model fine-tuning tools, tribal linguists can process double the translation requests per day compared to the prior manual process, and sensitive language data stays within Choctaw-controlled OCI environments for data residency and cultural protection.
Overview
The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, whose native language has dwindled to about 300 first-language speakers, built an AI-powered translation application using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Data Science, OCI AI infrastructure, and Oracle APEX. Tribal linguists fine-tuned Meta's Llama large language models to validate translations between English and Choctaw. When a translation request comes in, an AI agent uses the fine-tuned Llama model with retrieval-augmented generation to consult dictionary resources and validated translation databases, generating a proposed translation that human linguists then review and refine. The application can extract and validate translation pairs from historical documents such as 19th-century newspapers and interview transcripts. Using Oracle AI infrastructure and model fine-tuning tools, tribal linguists can process double the translation requests per day compared to the prior manual process, and sensitive language data stays within Choctaw-controlled OCI environments for data residency and cultural protection.
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Inspect the highlighted sourceThe challenge
After generations of pressured assimilation, use of the Choctaw language dwindled to just 300 native speakers, prompting urgency to preserve the endangered language, and the tribe's manual translation processes could not keep up with demand from tribal programs.
The solution
The tribe used Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Data Science, Oracle AI infrastructure, and an Oracle APEX-built application to fine-tune Meta's Llama large language models for English-Choctaw translation. When a translation request is submitted, an AI agent uses the fine-tuned Llama model with retrieval-augmented generation to consult dictionary resources and validated translation databases and generate a proposed translation, which human linguists then review and refine.
Reported business value
Using Oracle AI infrastructure and model fine-tuning tools, tribal linguists can process double the translation requests per day, helping meet demand from tribal programs, while sensitive language data stays within Choctaw-controlled OCI environments for data residency and cultural protection.
Sources
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