Zuckerberg's Meta Building An AI-Supported 'Universal Speech Translator'
Facebook's parent company Meta is planning to build a "universal speech translator" powered by artificial intelligence.
The company that also owns Instagram and WhatsApp wants to create a translation software that ?"works for everyone in the world," Meta announced during an event focused on benefits of metaverse and AI technologies.
Meta's AI-powered dreams
In an online presentation, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the "ability to communicate with anyone in any language" is a "superpower [that] people have dreamed of forever." He also highlighted the mammoth role artificial intelligence is expected to play during the same presentation.
According to Meta, languages like English, Mandarin, and Spanish have enough translation tools but 20% of the world's populations do not speak these languages.
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To overcome the challenges of training AI systems to translate lesser-known languages, Meta has a two-pronged approach. The first is called "No Language Left Behind" and will focus on creating AI models that can learn to translate with minimal training. The second is called "Universal Speech Translator" that should be able to translate speech in real-time from any language to another.
In a blog post, Meta did not give out a timeframe for these tools but instead focused on benefits a universal language translation would bring. "Eliminating language barriers would be profound, making it possible for billions of people to access information online in their native or preferred language," Meta wrote.
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"Advances won’t just help those people who don’t speak one of the languages that dominates the internet today; they’ll also fundamentally change the way people in the world connect and share ideas."
What do you think about a universal translation tool? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.??
References
Vincent, J. (2022c, February 23). Meta announces plans to build an AI-powered ‘universal speech translator.’ The Verge.?
