EDVAL: The challenge of a generation
95 per cent of the world’s artificial intelligence is trained in English. This means that more than 500 million Spanish speakers are using AI tools that do not fully understand them, and which make mistakes regarding their accents, expressions and nuances. This is the challenge that EDVAL has decided to tackle.
The Valle de la Lengua Data Hub (EDVAL) was founded in La Rioja – the land where the first known word in Spanish was written over a thousand years ago – to help shape the digital future of our language. And to make this possible, it needs everyone’s support: researchers, businesses, institutions and citizens who believe that Spanish deserves AI that is up to the task.
What is the challenge facing EDVAL?
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we communicate, the way we work and the way we access knowledge. But there is a fundamental problem: large AI models have been trained predominantly on data in English. Spanish, with all its dialectal richness, its 500 million speakers and its cultural diversity, is under-represented.
This is not just a technical problem. It is a matter of linguistic equity, cultural sovereignty and economic opportunity. Every time an AI system fails to understand a Latin American accent, fails to recognise an expression from La Rioja or fails to comprehend colloquial Spanish, we are losing a part of our identity in the digital world.
EDVAL aims to build the largest spoken Spanish corpus ever created, featuring dialectal varieties from across Spain and Latin America, so that AI models can learn real Spanish: with all its diversity, nuance and richness.
¿Did you know that… Only 5% of global AI training uses data in Spanish, even though it is the second most widely spoken language in the world. EDVAL is here to change that.
Why participate in EDVAL?
Participating in EDVAL is not just contributing to a technological project. It is being part of something bigger: the construction of a linguistic infrastructure that will benefit entire generations of Spanish speakers. Here are some of the reasons why it makes sense to join:
Your contribution has a real impact. Every linguistic datum, every voice recording, every contribution to the corpus directly improves the AI models we use every day.
Access to a unique infrastructure. Participants have access to EDVAL's federated data space, featuring the most advanced technical standards in Europe (GAIA-X, Data Governance Act).
Visibility and recognition. The entities and people who contribute become part of a nationally and internationally recognized ecosystem, with institutional backing from the Government of La Rioja and NextGenerationEU funding.
Collaboration without barriers. EDVAL's open and interoperable architecture allows universities, companies, and citizens to work together under a transparent and ethical governance model.
Spanish as a strategic asset. Contributing to EDVAL is betting on Spanish being a native language in the AI era, not a translation from English.
Benefits by participant profile
EDVAL is designed to be a project for everyone. Whether you are a researcher, a technology company, a public institution, or simply someone who loves Spanish, there is a place for you in this ecosystem.
| For whom? | What do you contribute? | What do you get? |
|---|---|---|
| Researchers and universities | Knowledge, data, and linguistic validation | Access to a unique corpus, collaboration network, and international visibility |
| Tech companies | Infrastructure, development, and computational resources | Native-quality linguistic data, positioning in the Spanish-speaking market |
| Public institutions | Governance, legitimacy, and strategic funding | Leadership in the New Economy of Language and alignment with European policies |
| Spanish-speaking community | Voice, diversity, and linguistic richness of Spanish | An AI that truly understands you, in your Spanish, with your accent |
A community that speaks your language
What makes EDVAL special is not just the technology. It is the community surrounding it. A living ecosystem of people and institutions sharing a common goal: for Spanish to take its rightful place in the digital world.
From the San Millán de la Cogolla Monastery, where our written language was born over a thousand years ago, to the most innovative AI startups in Spain and Latin America; from university researchers to citizens who simply want their voice to be heard by machines: everyone is welcome.
What does it mean to be part of the EDVAL community?
Sharing linguistic resources and contributing to the oral corpus of Spanish.
Accessing data, models, and shared infrastructure under European standards.
Participating in working groups, events, and open collaboration spaces.
Being a benchmark in the New Economy of Language, an emerging market with enormous potential.
Connecting with a network of over 20 Spanish-speaking countries.
The Valley of Language: a symbol that unites us La Rioja was the territory where written Spanish was born. Today it is also the territory from which Spain leads the digital future of our language. History repeats itself.
How can I participate?
Participating in EDVAL is simpler than it seems. The project is designed to be accessible to all types of actors, with different levels of involvement depending on your capabilities and goals.
As a data provider: Contribute textual or oral corpora, voice recordings, linguistic annotations, or any valuable resource for the Spanish ecosystem.
As a data consumer: Access the resources available in the federated catalog to develop your own models, applications, or research.
As a tech developer: Integrate your systems through interoperable connectors and deploy services on EDVAL's shared infrastructure.
As a collaborating institution: Formalize your participation under the project's governance frameworks and contribute to the strategic decision-making of the ecosystem.
As a committed citizen: Spread the word, support, and share EDVAL's mission in your environment. Every person who knows the project is another voice for Spanish in AI.
Spanish wrote its first word a thousand years ago. Together, we can write the next one.
Join. Share. Drive the future of Spanish.