The future of languages in the digital age: Opportunities and linguistic divide

In this article we reflect on the impact of the digital revolution on the survival of languages in the not too distant future. If one thing is clear, human language will be the predominant means of communication between people and technology, and between people and the collective knowledge and information of the entire world. Indeed, the use of one language or another determines the amount of information that can be accessed, as well as the services available. The key is the technological know-how with which the different languages face the digital challenge. The wealth of technological resources of each language will crucially affect their chances of making it into the 22^nd century in good health. The most immediate languages at risk, obviously, are those affected by "digital diglossia": bilingual speakers of a regional language and a global language, rather than missing the digital train, will opt for the larger language and set aside that which does not play a part in technological progress. The effects this may have on the linguistic diversity of the digital ecosystem, and by extension on the world, are devastating.