Google Translate adds 110 new languages from around the world with PaLM 2 technology

Google is using its PaLM 2 Large Language Module (LLM) to expand the capabilities of its Google Translate translator by adding 110 new languages, including Cantonese, Punjabi (Shahmukhi) and NKo.

Here's What We Know

A quarter of the new languages come from Africa, and the total number of speakers of these languages is approximately 614 million, which is about eight per cent of the world's population.

Google calls PaLM 2 "a key piece of the puzzle" that helps Translate learn languages that are closely related to each other more efficiently, including languages close to Hindi, such as Awadhi and Marwadi, and French creoles, such as Seychellois and Mauritian creole.

In May 2022, Google enhanced its Zero-Shot Machine Translation algorithm for Google Translate, allowing the service to learn and deploy new languages much faster and more efficiently. Later that year, Google announced the 1000 Languages Initiative, which aims to create artificial intelligence models that support the world's 1000 most spoken languages.

Source: Engadget