Pasht0: An unfinished future
Some knowledge lives in the way a story is told. This 64-second film introduces Pasht0: a research concept exploring Pashto-first AI, oral history and useful language tools shaped by the communities they serve.
On-screen text
The film’s written story, available to read alongside the video.
A world of knowledge
In stories, laughter, hospitality and everyday life.
Not everything is written
Some knowledge lives in the way a story is told.
Words are not meaning
AI may translate a phrase and miss its cultural context.
The access gap is real
Afghanistan: 37% national literacy in 2021. Not Pashtun-specific. Source shown in the film: UNESCO, Afghanistan Education Situation Report (2025).
We can improve the tools
2025 research: targeted fine-tuning improved Pashto speech recognition. Source shown in the film: Sehar et al., ACL Anthology (2025).
Start with useful products
Interpretation. Learning. Oral histories. Voluntary contributions.
From stories to intelligence
From stories to intelligence.
The future should understand us
Pasht0 is the beginning. The opportunity reaches further.
