In a time when technology can create a divide, some people are using artificial intelligence to connect communities. Millions of people in India speak tribal languages as their first language, not Hindi or English. These languages, which hold a lot of culture and history, have mostly been missing from the internet and computers. Now, new AI tools that can read text out loud are being made for languages like Santali, Mundari, and Bhili. This is creating new ways to help with school, health, and saving their culture.

The main problem was that these languages were not present online. When a language does not have things like fonts, keyboards, or voice tools for computers, it can get left behind. This means people who speak it can miss out on important information. For example, a health alert sent as a text message is not helpful if the person cannot read it. A child’s learning is also made harder when all the online school materials are in a different language.

To fix this, groups like the Adivasi Voice Initiative worked with language experts and technology schools. Their big project was to create computer voices that sound natural for these tribal languages. Creating a tool to read text aloud required working with the communities directly. The creators went to villages and recorded people like elders, teachers, and students reading different things, from old stories to school books. This was needed to record the special sounds and rhythm of each language. Using this recorded audio and the text that goes with it, they trained computer programs to learn how to connect written words with their sounds.

The results of this work are now being seen in different communities. In education, children who speak Santali can now listen to their lessons and stories in their own language, using their own Ol Chiki alphabet. This helps them read better and also shows that their culture is important in school. Audiobooks and learning apps are now possible. In health, these tools are very helpful. Health announcements about things like vaccines or clean water can be turned into audio and played in villages. In local clinics, automatic systems can give instructions to patients in Bhili or Mundari. This helps people who cannot read and makes sure they understand important health information.

This project is also an important way to save their culture. By giving these languages a place in the digital world, it helps them survive for future generations. It shows young people that their language is important and gives them a feeling of pride. The next step is to create technology that can understand these languages when spoken. But for now, by making it possible for these languages to be heard, these communities are getting access to a future with more inclusion and more opportunities.