NAIROBI, Kenya- Google Translate, while not flawless, remains a go-to tool for gaining information and navigating conversations across languages.
Now, its capabilities are set to soar with the addition of 110 new languages. This expansion marks a significant leap forward in bridging linguistic gaps worldwide.
According to Google, these new languages collectively represent 614 million speakers, constituting about eight percent of the world’s population.
Notably, a quarter of these languages originate from Africa, highlighting Google’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in diverse linguistic landscapes.
Leveraging Advanced AI
Isaac Caswell, Senior Software Engineer at Google Translate, credits advancements in AI, particularly Google’s Language Model (LLM) PaLM 2, for enabling the platform to efficiently learn closely related languages.
This includes dialects like Awadhi and Marwadi, as well as French creoles such as Seychellois and Mauritian Creole.
These technological strides underscore Google’s dedication to enhancing translation accuracy and linguistic diversity.
Future Prospects and Initiatives
Looking ahead, Google aims to continue expanding its language repertoire through initiatives like Zero-Shot Machine Translation.
This approach allows AI models to learn new languages without explicit examples, broadening Google Translate’s capabilities even further.
Moreover, the ongoing 1,000 Languages Initiative underscores Google’s ambitious goal to support the most commonly spoken languages globally, ensuring broader access to information across cultures.
