Opportunities and Challenges of Large Language Models for Low-Resource Languages in Humanities Research

Importance and Endangerment of Low-Resource Languages in the Global Linguistic Ecology The linguistic landscape of the world constitutes a complex tapestry interwoven with a rich diversity of languages, each strand epitomizing a distinctive cultural, historical, and social identity. This global linguistic diversity forms a foundational pillar of human civilization, cultivating an array of perspectives and worldviews that enhance our collective intellectual legacy. Among these, low-resource languages occupy a particularly crucial position, not merely as modes of communication but as repositories of distinctive cultural knowledge, historical narratives, and worldviews. These languages, frequently spoken by smaller communities, are essential to the preservation of cultural heritage and the transmission of indigenous knowledge systems. However, the global linguistic landscape is presently undergoing an extraordinary crisis, with lowresource languages among the most threatened. The swift vanishing of these languages is of serious concern, highlighted by concerning data and studies. It is estimated, for example, that around 40% of the world's 7,000 languages face extinction, with numerous low-resource languages having fewer than 1,000 speakers [94].