Recognition for Dewi Bryn Jones at Wrexham Eisteddfod
THE SCIENCE and Technology Medal at this yr’s National Eisteddfod in Wrexham has been awarded to Dewi Bryn Jones, some of the influential figures in Welsh language and speech applied sciences.
Over the previous twenty years, Dewi has led pioneering work that permits Welsh audio system to use their language throughout fashionable digital platforms – from computer systems and cellular gadgets to artificial speech and AI. His work has not solely superior know-how in Wales but in addition supplied important instruments for disabled customers and people with extra communication wants.
Driving digital innovation in Welsh
Dewi leads a staff of software program builders on the Language Technologies Unit at Canolfan Bedwyr, Bangor University. Under his management, the unit has delivered main improvements in Welsh writing know-how, speech know-how, and machine translation.
Among his achievements is the entire overhaul of Cysill, the Welsh spelling and grammar checker, making it appropriate with fashionable techniques. He additionally led the event of Cysgliad, a software program suite combining Cysill and the bilingual dictionary Cysgeir—nonetheless in lively use since 2004.
He has additionally developed important database and computing infrastructure for Welsh dictionaries, together with the digital model of Geiriadur yr Academi and Y Porth Termau Cenedlaethol, the nationwide terminology portal.
Career rooted in Welsh tech development
Originally from Pwllheli, Dewi graduated in Computer Science from the University of York and labored in Cambridge, Zurich and with Nokia in Finland. It was whereas based mostly in Helsinki that he started translating Netscape Navigator—an early net browser—into Welsh, years earlier than the dominance of Google or Chrome.
On returning to Wales, he joined Draig Technology Ltd and helped develop To Bach, a preferred software that robotically provides accents to Welsh textual content, with over 100,000 downloads to date.
Since becoming a member of Bangor University in 2002, Dewi has labored on the intersection of language and computing, now exploring the alternatives and challenges of synthetic intelligence for minority languages like Welsh.
Revolutionising Welsh speech know-how
Over 20 years in the past, Dewi started researching speech synthesis for Welsh and collaborated with groups in Ireland creating related instruments for Irish. His work has since delivered artificial Welsh voices utilized in healthcare, training, gaming, and digital media.
In 2017, he developed Lleisiwr, which permits sufferers to create artificial Welsh variations of their voices earlier than dropping the power to communicate. A bilingual model adopted in 2020, and he’s now collaborating with NHS Wales and a Scottish firm to develop numerous Welsh-accented artificial voices for youngsters and younger folks.
These applied sciences underpin Macsen, the primary Welsh-language voice assistant. Controlled totally by means of Welsh voice instructions, it offers climate, information, music, translation and Wikipedia searches—all in Welsh.
Honoured by friends
Professor Delyth Prys, former head of the Language Technologies Unit, mentioned: “The award is thoroughly deserved by Dewi. I would go so far as to say that without his contribution, we wouldn’t have any Welsh software today.”
Professor Deri Tomos, a earlier recipient of the medal, added: “This unit is absolutely vital to the future of the language. Dewi lives and breathes computing—it’s central to his life, and I’m sure he’s delighted to be recognised in this way.”
Championing Welsh within the AI age
Dewi has performed a central position in securing Welsh inclusion in Mozilla’s world Common Voice undertaking, permitting volunteers to contribute voice samples to practice speech applied sciences in a number of languages.
He additionally helped set up the Master’s diploma in Language Technologies at Bangor and supervised the primary PhD in Speech Technology by means of the medium of Welsh. He is the principal creator of The Language Technologies Handbook—the primary Welsh-language publication of its form.
Reflecting on the award, Dewi mentioned: “It’s a great honour to do this work and to be part of a team just as passionate and talented—more talented than me, in fact. We’re proving that Welsh belongs in the digital world.”
