ASU News
The head of the Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics at Adyghe State University, Susanna Makerova, delivered a lecture at the International Summit on Artificial Intelligence, taking place in Belgrade from November 18 to 22. This event features more than 500 speakers from over 45 countries and attracts more than 5,000 participants in both real and virtual formats.
Data Science and AI-2024 is one of the largest scientific gatherings in Europe, uniting scholars who will discuss new technologies and trends in contemporary scientific research.
At the meeting of the special session titled "Non-traditional Technologies and Neuro-Artificial Intelligence," ASU Professor Susanna Makerova discussed the importance of bilingual research in examining the intricacies of cognitive processes and brain stability. She presented findings from a psycholinguistic experiment aimed at studying oculomotor metrics in Russian-Adyghe bilinguals. Additionally, she explored the prospects of employing a synthesized approach that utilizes neuroimaging methods and the capabilities of artificial intelligence—specifically, multimodal neural networks—for processing data acquired through the scanpath method, along with conducting multimodal sentiment analysis.
-We appreciate this invitation from the Serbian side to participate in an event of such significance for our young laboratory, which closely collaborates with the Center for Language and Brain at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. This invitation indicates that we are aligned with current trends. Specifically, I refer to approaches for solving scientific problems, advancements in technology, interdisciplinary collaboration, and, most importantly, key scientific inquiries. It is noteworthy that, at this stage, there is a burgeoning interest in linguistic research, particularly studies focusing on small yet globally significant languages, such as the Adyghe language,- commented Susanna Makerova.
A team of researchers from the Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics at Adyghe State University, in collaboration with colleagues from the Center for Language and Brain and the School of Linguistics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, compared the characteristics of eye movements during reading among native speakers of two structurally different languages: Russian, a synthetic language, and Adyghe, which belongs to the group of polysynthetic languages. This study marks the first time that scientists have examined the features of reading based on the material of a polysynthetic language. The findings revealed that eye movements during reading in languages with different structures exhibit both similarities and differences. Notably, reading in Adyghe requires more time and involves more labor-intensive processing compared to reading in Russian.
Makerova also presented at the conference the works of the winners of the first international competition for digital ethnolook in the Art&Sience/BrainArt format. These works were created using AI and inspired by the aesthetics of the brain, neuroscience, and the cultural characteristics of Russian-Adyghe bilinguals.
These works were created using AI and inspired by the aesthetics of the brain, neuroscience, and the cultural characteristics of Russian-Adyghe bilinguals. The competition was held with the support of the Center for Language and Brain at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics at Adygea State University, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Adygea, Adygea State University, the Academy of Architecture and Arts at Southern Federal University, the State Museum of Applied Arts and History of Handicrafts of Uzbekistan, the All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts, the Mikhail Shemyakin Center, 3D Couture, U magazine, FashionTechPermCommunity, and EtnomodaArtCommunity. The participants created models that referenced ethnoculture through the imagery of the brain and neural connections, utilizing modern technologies, computer programs, and the capabilities of artificial intelligence. More than 70 projects from both professional and aspiring designers were submitted to the competition, and their work was evaluated by a jury of digital design experts from Russia, China, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
Let us recall that the Experimental Linguistics Research Laboratory was established at Adyghe State University in 2022 as part of the Priority 2030 strategic academic leadership program. The primary areas of work for the laboratory are focused on studying the psycho- and neurolinguistic functions of the brains of native speakers from the peoples of Russia. The laboratory staff comprises linguists, an Adyghe specialist, a psychologist, and a mathematician. In collaboration with colleagues from the HSE Center for Language and Brain, they are engaged in research exploring the connection between the brain and language at the intersection of linguistics and medicine. This includes psycholinguistic studies of the Adyghe language and bilingualism, as well as neurolinguistic clinical studies of speech disorders and cognitive functions in bilingual individuals using neuroimaging methods.
The results of the research conducted by the Experimental Linguistics Laboratory sparked the interest of conference participants, leading to an agreement to pursue joint research initiatives with scientists from China and Serbia.