ICAME46 Opens with Inspiring Plenary by Rūta Petrauskaitė

The first plenary session of ICAME46 set a high standard for the week, with Professor dr. Rūta Petrauskaitė delivering a compelling talk titled “Corpora and Data: From John Sinclair to Artificial Intelligence.” Held in the historic Aula Parva at Vilnius University, the session offered both a tribute to the foundations of corpus linguistics and a forward-looking exploration of its future in the age of AI.

Chaired by Dr. Giedrė Balčytytė, the plenary traced the evolution of corpus approaches from the pioneering work of John Sinclair to today’s data-driven, technology-enhanced methodologies. Dr. Petrauskaitė addressed the shifting landscape of linguistic data—highlighting how AI is transforming the ways we collect, interpret, and apply corpus evidence across disciplines.

Her talk resonated strongly with attendees, offering not just a historical overview but a critical lens on current challenges and innovations. It was a thought-provoking and energizing start to the conference, perfectly aligned with ICAME46’s focus on linguistic research, digital tools, and new frontiers in corpus studies.

📷 Vilnius University / Ugnius Bagdonavičius