Just like LaTeX allows you to write documents precisely and reproducibly, this computational English would make automatic machine translation extremely difficult. Even a small snippet of computation could drastically change the meaning if it is misinterpreted. Over time, anyone who values precision might stick to English by default, creating a global lock-in for formal communication.
Casual conversation could still happen in any language, but for technical writing, legal documents, instructions, or rigorous journalism, computational English could become the universal standard. Its adoption would depend on its ability to guarantee exact meaning rather than ease of learning.
Would this lock-in ensure that English will be the universal language of the world forever, just like LaTeX for scientists?
jjgreen•1h ago
amichail•1h ago
jjgreen•1h ago
Disclosure: English is my native language.
amichail•1h ago
JohnFen•1h ago
To make English (or any human language) suitable for use as a programming language means you need to very tightly constrain the language -- which would make it less suitable for human communications.