Exploring the Role of AI in the Debate on Language Acquisition: Innate Mechanisms vs. Environmental Learning

Abstract

The ever-drawn debate between nature and nurture in the context of language acquisition has been a subject of interest among scholars for decades where in the past, this has been a question of whether language delay is a result of heredity or environment. The emergence of AI has added a new perspective to this discussion through complex tools that can capture and assess the interplay of these variables. Therefore, this paper seeks to explain how AI can mimic the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in the process of language acquisition. Thus, employing simulations and meta-analyses with the help of AI, the researchers can gain a deeper insight into how these factors influence the language learning process, challenge the existing theories, and define further research avenues.