SilkRoadNLP brings together researchers working on natural language processing, computational linguistics, and AI for the Iranian language family. This includes languages like Persian (Farsi), Dari, and Tajik, as well as Kurdish, Pashto, Balochi, Gilaki, Mazandarani, Luri, Ossetic, and related varieties, many of which remain severely under-represented in computational research despite their deep literary and oral traditions. We welcome work across all Iranian languages and varieties, spanning language resources, modeling, translation, speech, evaluation, and language technology.

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This year’s theme, “From Representation to Sovereignty”, moves beyond asking whether Iranian languages are represented in AI to examine how they are represented, who participates in developing the technologies around them, and who governs linguistic and cultural data.

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We especially welcome work exploring how language communities can retain meaningful agency over AI systems through community-centered NLP, culturally grounded evaluation, participatory development, and data and language sovereignty.

The theme complements our broad scope: contributions across Iranian-language NLP are welcome, whether or not they directly address the annual theme.