Google has announced the addition of seven new Indian languages to its Google Translate service. The newly supported languages are Awadhi, Bodo, Khasi, Kokborok, Marwadi, Santali, and Tulu. This update is part of Google’s largest expansion yet for its translation service, which now supports a total of 243 languages globally.
In a blog post, Google highlighted the impact of this expansion, noting that these new additions will facilitate translations for over 614 million speakers, representing approximately 8% of the world’s population. The inclusion of these seven Indian languages underscores Google’s commitment to increasing digital inclusivity and accessibility.
Google’s in-house large language model, PaLM 2, played a crucial role in this expansion. PaLM 2, renowned for its multilingual, reasoning, and coding capabilities, has enabled Google Translate to more effectively learn and support languages that are closely related to one another. This includes languages similar to Hindi, such as Awadhi and Marwadi, and French Creoles like Seychellois and Mauritian Creole.
PaLM 2 is distinct from Google’s Gemini Pro LLM, which powers its generative AI chatbot, Bard. The integration of these advanced AI models reflects Google’s ongoing investment in artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
This development comes amid a broader push by Google to enhance its generative AI offerings. Recently, the company launched a mobile app for its AI chatbot in India, supporting English and nine Indian languages. This app is now available in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu.
However, Google’s journey with generative AI in India has not been without challenges. Earlier this year, the company faced backlash after its chatbot provided controversial responses related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading to governmental scrutiny. In response, Google announced new measures to help voters navigate AI-generated content ahead of India’s general elections.
Beyond its AI initiatives, Google has also launched the Google Wallet app for Android users in India. This app, developed in partnership with several e-commerce and ticketing partners, allows users to store and access tickets, boarding passes, and membership cards easily.
