Google has expanded its Google Translate service by adding support for 110 new languages, marking its largest upgrade to date. This expansion, announced recently, brings the total number of supported languages to 243. Powered by Google’s PaLM 2 large language model (LLM), this advancement leverages artificial intelligence to learn new languages, focusing on related or regional dialects.
Included in this update are Indian regional dialects like Awadhi and Marwadi. This effort is part of Google’s ambitious initiative announced in November 2022 to support 1,000 languages globally with AI models. The addition of these 110 languages represents a significant step forward in achieving this goal.
Google prioritized widely used variants of each language. For example, the Southern Vlax Romani dialect was chosen for Romani due to its prevalence online, aided by available textual data for AI training.
Notable additions include Cantonese, a highly requested language, and Afar, a tonal language spoken in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Approximately one-fourth of the new languages added are from Africa, highlighting Google’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity in language support.
Google acknowledged the role of volunteer contributions from communities in identifying and adding these languages, particularly in regions with limited digital resources. This expansion underscores Google’s ongoing mission to break down language barriers and enhance access to information worldwide.
