Google Translate gets biggest update ever; 110 new languages added to the service

Google has announced a major update to its Translate service, adding support for 110 new languages. This expansion has been powered by the PaLM 2 language model. Google claims this update will break down language barriers for over 614 million speakers worldwide.

Google Translate's latest update is its largest expansion to date. The new languages include widely spoken ones and those with fewer speakers, encompassing Indigenous languages and those being revitalised. This expansion follows Google's 2022 addition of 24 languages using Zero-Shot Machine Translation and the launch of the 1,000 Languages Initiative.

With this update, Google Translate now supports languages spoken by around 8 per cent of the global population. Some notable new additions include:

• Afar: Spoken in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia, Afar saw the most volunteer contributions.
• Cantonese: A highly requested language, despite data challenges due to overlap with Mandarin.
• Manx: The Celtic language of the Isle of Man, revived after near extinction.
• NKo: A standardized form of West African Manding languages, featuring a unique alphabet.
• Punjabi (Shahmukhi): Widely spoken in Pakistan, written in the Perso-Arabic script.
• Tamazight (Amazigh): A Berber language from North Africa, supported in both Latin and Tifinagh scripts.
• Tok Pisin: An English-based creole and the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea.

PaLM 2
Google claims the PaLM 2 model has been instrumental in efficiently learning related languages, including those close to Hindi like Awadhi and Marwadi, and French creoles like Seychellois Creole and Mauritian Creole. As technology advances and partnerships with linguists and native speakers grow, Google plans to support even more language varieties and spelling conventions.