While language technologies have advanced significantly, current approaches fail to address the complex sociocultural dimensions of linguistic preservation. AI Thinking proposes a meaning-centered framework that would transform technological development from creating tools FOR communities to co-creating solutions WITH them. This approach recognizes that meaningful solutions emerge through the interplay of cultural understanding, community agency, and technological innovation. The proposal articulates a holistic methodology and a five-layer technological ecosystem where communities maintain control over their linguistic and cultural knowledge representation. This systematic integration of community needs, cultural preservation, and advanced capabilities could revolutionize how we approach linguistic diversity preservation in the digital age.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we work with information across disciplines and practical contexts. A growing range of disciplines are now involved in studying, developing, and assessing the use of AI in practice, but these disciplines often employ conflicting understandings of what AI is and what is involved in its use. New, interdisciplinary approaches are needed to bridge competing conceptualisations of AI in practice and help shape the future of AI use. I propose a novel conceptual framework called AI Thinking, which models key decisions and considerations involved in AI use across disciplinary perspectives. The AI Thinking model addresses five practice-based competencies involved in applying AI in context: motivating AI use in information processes, formulating AI methods, assessing available tools and technologies, selecting appropriate data, and situating AI in the sociotechnical contexts it is used in. A hypothetical case study is provided to illustrate the application of AI Thinking in practice. This article situates AI Thinking in broader cross-disciplinary discourses of AI, including its connections to ongoing discussions around AI literacy and AI-driven innovation. AI Thinking can help to bridge divides between academic disciplines and diverse contexts of AI use, and to reshape the future of AI in practice.