FROM ENGLISH TO THE MOTHER TONGUE: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND A NEW PARADIGM OF ACADEMIC PUBLISHING

Abstract

For decades, English has served as the dominant language of scholarly communication. While this dominance has facilitated global dissemination of knowledge, it has also created significant barriers for researchers whose native language is not English. This article argues that recent advances in artificial intelligence, particularly in machine translation and language understanding, make it possible to reconsider one of the fundamental assumptions of contemporary academic publishing: that scientific work must be written in English to be internationally relevant. Rather than requiring authors to adapt their ideas to a foreign language, a new model may emerge in which scholars write in their native language while readers, editors, and reviewers access AI-assisted translations in the language of their choice. The paper discusses the historical origins of English-language dominance, the advantages of native-language authorship, the implications for editorial and peer-review processes, and the broader consequences for scientific diversity, inclusion, and knowledge production.  This approach could also help broaden access to publication for scholars working in underrepresented linguistic communities.