AI-Mediated English: How Generative Systems Reinforce English as a Global Lingua Franca
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69760/portuni.0109004Keywords:
Generative Artificial Intelligence, Global English, English as a Lingua Franca, Language EducationAbstract
English has long been the world’s lingua franca, dominating international communication, science, and media. The recent rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems – from large language models like ChatGPT to AI-powered translation and writing tools – is poised to further entrench English’s global dominance. This article explores how AI-mediated communication may be reinforcing English as the de facto global language. We synthesize current research and examples to examine biases in multilingual AI performance, the standardization of English via AI tools, and the ways AI adoption encourages even greater use of English worldwide. Results indicate that popular generative AI systems disproportionately favor English (and standard varieties of English), often at the expense of linguistic diversity. AI-generated content tends to homogenize toward mainstream English norms, marginalizing minority languages and non-standard dialects. Furthermore, non-native speakers increasingly rely on AI to produce English text, accelerating the spread of English in academia, business, and everyday communication. We discuss the implications of these findings for language learning and global linguistic equity. Finally, we highlight strategies – from diversifying training data to critical pedagogical practices – that could mitigate AI’s English-centric biases and foster a more multilingual AI future.
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