Is it Possible to Preserve a Language using only Data?

Many of our spoken languages are endangered and rapidly becoming extinct. Due to this, there are attempts to preserve as many of those languages as possible. One preservation approach is combining data collection and artificial intelligence-based language models. However, current data collection methods may only capture static data from a dynamic cognitive process. If data are not genuinely capturing the dynamic process, it raises questions about whether they capture all the essential knowledge about how a language functions. Here, we discuss the implications of this issue and its importance in preserving endangered languages.