Main Conference Plenary Talks

We are delighted to announce that the esteemed speakers listed below have graciously accepted our invitation to deliver keynote speeches at the main conference of IJCNLP-AACL 2025:

Saturday, December 20th, 12:00 - 12:30

Prasanta Kumar Ghosh, Indian Institute of Science, In-Person Plenary Talk

Title: Capturing the spoken language landscape of India for an inclusive digital India

Abstract

Digital interfaces and communications have become critical for access to information, entertainment, economic opportunities and even essential services such as healthcare. Speech is the most natural form of communication, and most Indians are not digital natives comfortable with typing or English. This brings the need for spoken language interfaces that work for all variations and dialects. But such data barely exists. IISc-ARTPARK’s umbrella of open-source speech data initiatives, such as RESPIN, SYSPIN and VAANI, are capturing the true diversity of India’s spoken languages to propel language AI technologies and content for an inclusive digital India, in collaboration with Bhashini, MEITY.

Speaker’s Bio Prasanta Kumar Ghosh is an associate professor in the department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Graduated (PhD) from University of Southern California, he has approximately 20 years of research experience in science and technology related to speech, audio and language, particularly in Indian languages. He has taken up major initiatives for creating open-sourced resources and models in Indic languages through projects like RESPIN, SYSPIN and Vaani.

Sunday, December 21st, 12:00 - 12:30

Milena Haykowska, Clear Global / Translators without Borders, In-Person Plenary Talk

Title: Bridging the Digital Language Divide: Building NLP Solutions for the Four Billion Left Behind

Abstract

Four billion people cannot access vital information or be heard simply because of the language they speak—a human rights crisis where technology advances have left speakers of most of the world’s 7,000+ languages digitally invisible. This talk explores why languages matter in the digital space generally and in Language AI specifically, through real-world examples from CLEAR Global’s work across health, education, and agriculture sectors. We showcase practical tools developed to inform decisions (Language Use Data Platform), collect quality-controlled voice data (TWB Voice), and demonstrate how the NLP community can actively use these resources to address critical gaps in language technology. Drawing from projects spanning crisis response, educational equity, and access to agricultural information, we illustrate the transformative impact of language-inclusive technology. From conversational AI chatbots serving COVID-19 information in Lingala, Hausa, and Kanuri, to exploring EdTech solutions for mother tongue education in the Marma community in Bangladesh, to evaluating how synthetic voice data can be used for African ASR at lower costs than traditional data collection costs—our work demonstrates that marginalized languages can achieve competitive NLP performance with appropriate data and community engagement. Throughout our work, CLEAR Global’s 100,000+ volunteer linguist community provides the foundation for quality-controlled translations, data collection, cultural validation, and ensuring that technology development remains grounded in the needs and expertise of native speakers. This talk invites the NLP community to collaborate in ensuring that the right to information and to be heard doesn’t depend on which language you speak.

Speaker’s Bio

Milena Haykowska is Technical Lead for Language Technology Programs at CLEAR Global. Her focus as an ICT(4D) professional of nearly 20 years in Africa, Asia and Europe has been on applying a human-centered approach to the design and implementation, ensuring an end-to-end inclusive delivery process.