Toward Financial Inclusion The Integration of Indigenous Languages in Virtual Assistants
Main Article Content
Keywords
Human Language Technology, Language, Virtual Assistant, Financial Inclusion
Abstract
Language’s centrality in technology, or the expression of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through language, should be evaluated to consider whether the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies in banking can be harnessed for equity or whether they risk perpetuating digital divides. A subset of Human Language Technologies (HLT) and Virtual Assistants (VAs) are conversational applications that use machine learning – the use of computers to draw patterns and inferences from large sets of data to provide human-like interactions to customers or users of the software on mobile apps or websites. While assertions that 4IR and its proponents (AI, machine learning, robotics) will have positive and radical impacts, it is crucial to question whether the Virtual Assistants (VAs) used in financial technologies (Fintech) will enable financial access by bridging language barriers rather than risking current forms of exclusion, disparity, and digital gaps. The aim of this paper is to evaluate whether the expression of language in Fintech can be harnessed to promote equity or worsen the digital divide. This is foregrounded by a Critical Discourse Analysis theory to highlight how language manifests in Fintech. Employing an interpretive qualitative methodology, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups to unearth rich, contextual insights. Thematic analysis was used to unravel imaginaries surrounding VAs and to extract meaningful patterns. This paper demonstrates that, while great in theory, accommodating the rich diversity of languages spoken in South Africa often runs counter to the pressures of the market in practice. Therefore, this study looks to catalyse policy development that will ensure that HLTs, like VAs, incorporate indigenous languages. This can be achieved by subsidising the development of Free and Open-Source solutions for use in the financial sector. These policies and solutions can be developed in collaboration with local communities, who can provide valuable feedback on their experiences with VAs.
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References
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Liebrenz, M., Schleifer, R., Buadze, A., Bhugra, D., & Smith, A. (2023). Generating scholarly content with ChatGPT: ethical challenges for medical publishing. The lancet digital health, 5(3): e105-e106. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00019-5
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Mthombeni, Z. M., & Ogunnubi, O. (2020). An appraisal of bilingual language policy implementation in South African higher education. South African Journal of African Languages, 40(2), 186-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/02572117.2020.1804278
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Myers-Scotton, C. (2006). Natural codeswitching knocks on the laboratory door. Bilingualism: Language and cognition, 9(2), 203-212. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728906002549
Nichols, D.M., Witten, I.H., Keegan, T.T., Bainbridge, D. and Dewsnip, M. (2005). ‘Digital libraries and minority languages’. New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 11(2), 139-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/13614560500351071
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ONLIM. (2022, September 09). The History of Chatbots from ELIZA to ChatGPT. Available at: https://www.onlim.com/en/the-history-of-chatbots/. Accessed: 20 August 2024.
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Pardue, L. and Bin, S.A. (2022). The Other Hegemony: Effects of software development culture on music software, and what we can do about it. In NIME 2022. PubPub. Available at: https://nime.org/proc/nime22_30/. Accessed: 04 March 2023.
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Reyes, R., Garza, D., Garrido, L., De la Cueva, V. and Ramirez, J. (2019). Methodology for the implementation of virtual assistants for education using Google Dialogflow. In Advances in Soft Computing: 18th Mexican International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, MICAI 2019, Xalapa, Mexico, October 27–November 2, 2019, Proceedings 18. Springer International Publishing.
Robb, G. (2020). Bridging the digital divide in South Africa: Case studies in incumbency versus competition. Cape Town: HSRC Press.
Ruane, E., Birhane, A. and Ventresque, A. (2019). Conversational AI: Social and Ethical Considerations. Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science. Available at: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Conversational-AI%3A-Social-and-Ethical-Ruane-Birhane/02246dd3867dbbd8b2c19b9ace4c6168787dd04e. Accessed: 15 May 2024.
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Schelenz, L. and Schopp, K. (2018). Digitalization in Africa: Interdisciplinary perspectives on technology, development, and justice. International Journal of Digital Society, 9(4), 1412-1420. https://doi.org/10.20533/ijds.2040.2570.2018.0175
Srinivas, V., Fromhart, S., Goradia, U. and Wadhwani, R., 2018. ‘Banking Outlook: Accelerating the transformation.’ Deloitte Center for Financial Services. Deloitte. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/digital-transformation-in-banking-global-customer-survey.html. Accessed: 03 March 2022.
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Jan 22, 2026
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Toward Financial Inclusion: The Integration of Indigenous Languages in Virtual Assistants. (2026). Digital Policy Studies, 4(1), 104-123. https://doi.org/10.36615/t15jgx41
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How to Cite
Toward Financial Inclusion: The Integration of Indigenous Languages in Virtual Assistants. (2026). Digital Policy Studies, 4(1), 104-123. https://doi.org/10.36615/t15jgx41
