MAX teaches AI to communicate in the Mansi language
An AI-based chatbot has recently launched inside the MAX messenger, enabling meaningful interaction in the Mansi language and marking a practical step toward digital preservation of minority languages.
Chatbots gain a larger role in messaging platforms
Over the past few years, chatbots have become an increasingly important functional element for modern messaging platforms, both globally and in Russia. They are used to extend platform capabilities, automate routine interactions, and support services that would otherwise require separate applications or dedicated infrastructure.
This trend is also evident in the Russian national messenger MAX. Recently, the platform introduced a new AI-powered chatbot designed as a digital conversational partner. Its defining feature is the ability to communicate in the Mansi language. The development represents a practical application of digital tools to support the preservation of cultural heritage and the languages of Russia’s Indigenous and small-numbered peoples.
According to representatives of the government of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug–Yugra, the intelligent assistant can conduct coherent conversations in Mansi, translate between Mansi and Russian, provide regional news in the Mansi language, and even generate fairy tales that reflect the history and cultural context of the Mansi people. This functionality enables both everyday language practice and interactive learning of the language and culture.
Access to the service does not require registration or complex setup. Users simply open the chatbot and start the dialogue, lowering barriers to entry for language learners and native speakers alike.
A collective development effort
The project was implemented as part of a broader initiative to create a National Corpus of the Mansi Language. The chatbot is the result of collaboration between native Mansi speakers, specialists from the Yugra Department of Information Technologies, the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Youth Policy, and researchers from the Yugra Research Institute of Information Technologies.
Project contributors note that the launch aligns with state policy objectives aimed at preserving linguistic diversity, including initiatives such as the officially designated Day of the Languages of the Peoples of Russia. The use of artificial intelligence for such tasks is considered one of the most promising approaches, particularly for endangered languages with only a few hundred active speakers. In this context, the AI chatbot within MAX serves as a concrete example of how digital technologies can support cultural preservation.
A reflection of a global trend
Russia is not alone in applying digital solutions to language preservation. Similar efforts are underway worldwide. In India, researchers at Tezpur University have launched AI-based projects to document and support the Rabha and Tiwa languages through speech recognition models and digital applications. In New Zealand, Te Hiku Media has developed its own automatic speech recognition system for the Māori language. IBM, through social initiatives, has supported AI tools designed to help preserve and expand the use of the Mbya Guarani language among young speakers in Brazil.
These examples illustrate a broader international movement in which artificial intelligence is used not to replace human cultural practices, but to reinforce them by providing accessible digital tools for learning, communication, and documentation.
Expansion to other languages
The creation of a Mansi-language chatbot within MAX demonstrates how a messaging platform can evolve into a flexible environment for solving specialized tasks. The project shows clear potential for scaling to other minority languages spoken across Russia. Beyond its immediate cultural impact, the initiative highlights the adaptability of the MAX platform itself, which was designed not merely as a messaging service, but as a multifunctional digital environment.
This kind of versatility strengthens MAX’s competitive position among major messaging platforms, particularly in cases where tailored, culturally specific solutions are required.
