Google has introduced a new Gemini feature that automatically translates conversations via a smartphone and connected earbuds.
Gemini will soon be able to translate in real time. Google is launching a beta version of Google Translate that translates live conversations, both one-way and two-way. According to Google, someone at a market in Bangkok, for example, can have the conversations around them translated into English in real time via earbuds.
Conversations without pauses or buttons
In two-way conversations, Gemini listens in, translates what the other person says, and plays the translation in the earbuds. When the user speaks, the smartphone translates that sentence and speaks it aloud. According to Google, this happens without users having to constantly press buttons or manually set languages.
Google says that the system can automatically recognize more than seventy languages and supports up to two thousand language combinations. Multiple languages can even be used interchangeably within a single conversation.
More nuance, less noise
According to Google, Gemini filters out background noise and tries to preserve not only words, but also the nuance of conversations. This is a well-known stumbling block for existing translation apps, which often struggle with accents, dialects, and fast conversations.
The beta will be rolled out gradually. It is not yet known when the feature will be widely available.