MeitY Organizes Workshop on Pali Language Preservation and AI Model Development

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently held a specialized BHASHINI workshop at Delhi University, bringing together linguists, technologists, and scholars to address a pressing cultural challenge. The focus was on using artificial intelligence to preserve Pali, an ancient language that has shaped Buddhist literature and philosophy for over two millennia. With fewer than a thousand active speakers today, Pali faces the risk of fading from practical use despite its historical significance in South and Southeast Asia.

The workshop aimed to develop digital AI models capable of processing, translating, and generating content in Pali. This effort aligns with India's broader BHASHINI initiative, which seeks to break language barriers across the country's diverse linguistic landscape. By integrating Pali into India's digital ecosystem, the ministry hopes to make ancient texts more accessible to researchers, students, and the general public without requiring years of specialized language training.

Why Pali matters in the digital age

Pali holds a unique position in world literature. The Tripitaka, the earliest collection of Buddhist scriptures, was written in this language around the first century BCE. Thousands of texts covering philosophy, medicine, astronomy, and ethics exist in Pali, but accessing them requires specialized knowledge that few possess. Most translations into English or modern Indian languages are outdated or incomplete.

Machine learning models trained on Pali could change this. An AI system capable of accurate translation would open these texts to millions of people. Scholars could cross-reference sources faster. Students could study Buddhist philosophy without spending years learning the language. The technology could also help preserve oral traditions and commentaries that have been passed down through monasteries in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand.

Technical challenges in building a Pali AI model

Training an AI model on Pali is not straightforward. The language has limited digitized text compared to widely spoken languages like Hindi or English. Most existing Pali manuscripts are handwritten, often on palm leaves or stone inscriptions, which makes optical character recognition difficult. Variations in script add another layer of complexity, since Pali has been written in Brahmi, Devanagari, Sinhala, Burmese, and Thai scripts over the centuries.

Participants at the Delhi workshop discussed solutions to these problems. One approach involves creating a standardized digital corpus by pooling resources from universities and monasteries across Asia. Another focuses on developing character recognition tools that can handle multiple scripts. The team also explored transfer learning, where a model trained on Sanskrit or other related languages could be fine-tuned for Pali to compensate for the smaller dataset.

BHASHINI's role in language preservation

BHASHINI, short for Bharat AI Speech and Language Innovation, is a government initiative launched in 2022 to provide AI-driven language tools for India's 22 scheduled languages and several others. The platform offers speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and translation services, aiming to make government services, education, and digital content accessible in regional languages. Adding Pali to this ecosystem would mark a departure from focusing solely on spoken languages.

The decision to include Pali reflects a recognition that language preservation is not just about current speakers but also about maintaining access to historical knowledge. India has a tradition of multilingualism, and integrating ancient languages into modern digital infrastructure could set a precedent for similar efforts worldwide. The technology developed for Pali could later be adapted for other endangered languages like Avestan, Sogdian, or Old Javanese.

Next steps and expected outcomes

The workshop concluded with a roadmap for the next 18 months. MeitY plans to partner with the International Institute for Pali and Buddhist Studies, several universities in Southeast Asia, and technology companies specializing in natural language processing. A pilot version of the Pali AI model is expected by late 2026, with initial capabilities focused on translating religious texts into Hindi, English, and Tamil.

If successful, the project could have applications beyond academia. Museums could use the technology to create interactive exhibits explaining ancient manuscripts. App developers might build tools for monks and practitioners studying Buddhist texts. The model could even assist in linguistic research, helping scholars trace how Pali influenced other languages in South Asia over the centuries.

The initiative also raises questions about how technology should handle cultural heritage. Critics have pointed out that AI models can introduce biases or errors, especially when training data is limited. MeitY has acknowledged this concern and stated that human experts will review all outputs to ensure accuracy. The goal is not to replace traditional scholarship but to make it more accessible and efficient.