AI Promotes the Beauty of Highland Villages
Some people worry that artificial intelligence (AI) could undermine the authenticity of the culture, customs, traditions and daily life of indigenous communities in the Central Highlands. In reality, AI is proving to be a valuable tool for young people in the region to tell the cultural stories of their ethnic communities through short videos.
AI brings ethnic culture to digital audiences
Between August 5 and 13, less than 10 days after it was posted on the social media page of an account known as PYM Tay Nguyen, the karaoke-style music video for Da mat gboh (Tears of Love) attracted more than 50,000 views and hundreds of positive responses.
PYM Tay Nguyen used an AI-generated singer and AI technology to restore old images, process audio, remove background noise and create K'ho lyrics scrolling along with the music. Da mat gboh tells the story of a beautiful yet tragic romance between a K'ho couple.
"I was captivated by the combination of two things that seemed completely unrelated: music with the distinctive flavor of the Central Highlands and AI technology. These two seemingly contrasting elements created something both familiar and fresh, making the song incredibly engaging to watch and listen to," said Ka Thim, a K'ho woman born after 1990, explaining why she was drawn to Da mat gboh.
Besides Da mat gboh, PYM Tay Nguyen has produced numerous music videos introducing K'ho folk songs, attracting a large audience.
Also using short videos to promote the distinctive cultural features of her community, Ka Mot of Dam Rong 4 Commune focuses on showcasing the beauty of traditional K'ho brocade patterns. According to Ka Mot, brocade is not merely used to make clothing; it also embodies the K'ho people's worldview and philosophy of life.
"Every pattern and color in K'ho brocade is a cultural code that our ancestors carefully passed down to later generations through the craft of weaving," she said.
"I am very happy to see so many people watching my videos. Some of my viewers are even from other countries," said the owner of the Konsa Ka Bieng social media account. Her short videos focus on the traditional architecture of the M'nong people that still survives in the former Dam Rong District.
Technology with authenticity at its core
With her excellent English skills, Ka Bi, a member of the Ma ethnic group, has produced numerous videos teaching Vietnamese and Ma to foreigners, while also teaching English to Vietnamese learners.
"Language is culture. I am delighted to see that many foreigners are interested in learning Ma, alongside Vietnamese," Ka Bi said.
According to Ka Han of Bao Loc Ward 2, the fact that many young indigenous people in the Central Highlands are actively promoting their ethnic cultures through short-form content in various formats, from images and videos to music and cuisine, and from architecture to brocade weaving, demonstrates how quickly the region's young generation has adapted to technological advances.
Through digital platforms and AI technology, many barriers caused by cultural differences have been removed. Young indigenous people in the Central Highlands are becoming increasingly confident in sharing the beauty of their cultures with audiences both in Vietnam and around the world.
However, Ka Han also noted that when producing videos about customs and traditions, young indigenous people in the Central Highlands should seek advice from elders or village patriarchs to ensure the accuracy of the information and avoid unintentionally misrepresenting traditional values.
After all, no matter how powerful AI may be, it still depends on the data it is given. If the source data is inaccurate, it can easily lead to unfortunate mistakes.