This text is part of the special Francophonie notebook
New technologies favor the development of all kinds of anglicisms. And artificial intelligence represents a challenge for the French language, which must adapt to constantly evolving concepts so as not to lose ground in Quebec, a hub for machine learning research.
The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) did not wait for the first version of ChatGPT to be put online in November 2022 to become aware of the threat. In 2018, the organization responsible for ensuring compliance with the Charter of the French language published a first AI lexicon. This tool was designed in close collaboration with Laval University, the University of Sherbrooke and Mila, the Quebec Institute of Artificial Intelligence founded by Yoshua Bengio.
“We produced a vocabulary of 85 concepts in AI,” explains Francis Pedneault, coordinator of linguistic production at the OQLF. “The demand came from the administration, but also from private companies. Montreal was becoming a center of expertise in AI, and it was necessary to create a vocabulary to directly respond to their needs. » In this area, the main difficulty is that we must act quickly, with concepts of which we do not necessarily yet master all the subtleties.
No time to waste
“Once you get used to using a word in English, it’s very difficult to go back. Hence the importance of being very responsive,” adds the general director of DataFranca, Gérard Pelletier, who has set up a website to ensure the dissemination of more than 7,800 definitions in French of terms related to AI. “If we let this go, we risk finding ourselves like in the 1950s in Quebec, where English was very present in certain sectors, such as the automobile industry,” he believes.
Due to its field of application, the lexical field of AI is destined to evolve rapidly. “We must constantly review and update our definitions,” emphasizes Mr. Pedneault. We receive 2000 to 3000 emails per year with suggestions for additions or comments to enrich our linguistic showcase. » In this terminological monitoring process, linguists are not the only ones to have their say. Entrepreneurs and researchers, as well as the general public, also contribute to this participatory approach.
A battle lost in advance?
It is not uncommon for a definition to change with technological advances. Source of myths and fantasies, the famous big data was first translated as “big data”. But DataFranca experts indicated that it would be preferable to speak of “massive data”, since today terabytes or petabytes have taken over megabytes.
Whatever the definition chosen, organizations such as the OQLF do not have the power to impose the use of one term rather than another. Should we deduce from this that the fight is lost in advance in the face of new technologies which have always had a serious penchant for anglicisms? “Generally speaking, it is an effort to promote terminology and ensure that it is used,” recognizes Mr. Pedneault, who cites as an example the well-known case of the word “discloser”. “It’s a term which, basically, received a rather mixed reception. But it is becoming more and more integrated into everyday life,” he emphasizes.
He adds that “the written media are a very important vector for the dissemination of French terminology”. The promotion and acceptance of this lexicon also requires better coordination between Quebec and the country of French Tech. The latter is also often singled out for his laxity in defending the language of Molière.
Beyond Quebec
With this in mind, the OQLF is carrying out concerted work with the General Delegation for the French Language and the Languages of France (DGLFLF). “It is through the use of common terminology that we can ensure better dissemination of French,” explains Mr. Pedneault. There are frequent exchanges between our organizations and we have integrated information from our French partner into our linguistic showcase. It would not be to our advantage to allow terminological differences to arise. »
As a research center in AI, Quebec has a major role to play in the development of a lexicon destined to shine throughout the French-speaking world. “With DataFranca, we have given ourselves the mission of responding to a demand that goes well beyond Quebec, whether in Ivory Coast, Senegal or the Maghreb,” says Mr. Pelletier. It is essential to ensure this dissemination in these countries, particularly among teachers and students. »
The basics of artificial intelligence
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