Impact Evaluation of AI-Language Access Models for Indigenous Language Communities in the City of Los Angeles
Wendy Zeng, Matheus Ligeiro Dias, Antara Chugh, Asli Kocak, Sofia Renee Rodriguez, Smita Samanta, E. Lixia Gong, Jae Wan Ahn, Yasmin Jafari, Emma Siegele Christie, Elizabeth Fonseca, Josh Crowley, Karina Castro Perezchica · 2025
Los Angeles (LA) City Council District 3's (CD3) implementation of AI-driven translation tools represents a critical step toward equitable language access for its indigenous language communities. This paper focuses on translation services for communities that speak Q'anjob'al, Ayuujk, Zapotec, Chinantec, and K‘iche’. Success of community-centered innovation depends on active indigenous community participation in preserving and translating their languages by combining AI with human expertise for efficiency and cultural accuracy. Long-term success requires robust data governance, clear accountability measures, and consistent funding streams. Our proposed AI solution for CD3 includes a set of ethical standards to create a model ensuring equitable city service access for every resident: (1) maintain community engagement, (2) invest in technology and human capital, (3) build strong partnerships with technology providers and indigenous organizations, and (4) evaluate and refine implementation strategies.