In the near future, Google will likely upgrade its translation app to add automatic recognition of spoken languages and automatic audio-to-text transcription, according to the New York Times.
Currently, Google Translate provides automated text translation to and from 90 languages. For a few of the most popular languages, users also have the option of hearing spoken translations.
But a forthcoming update to the app is expected to add the ability to recognize which language is spoken (provided the language is one of the relatively popular ones supported by the feature), and to produce an instant transcript of the words spoken. According to the New York Times, the updated app could also be capable of translating signs and information panels seen in the streets, regardless of the language they are written in.
Google currently boasts around 500 million users of its Translate app worldwide, across its various platforms. In the long run, the technology could be integrated directly into Android.
Google Translate vs. Skype Translator
News of Google's speech translation ambitions follows the 2014 launch of Microsoft's Skype Translator in a test version. The idea behind this automatic interpreting tool is to allow people who speak different languages to converse over video-conference.
Skype Translator carries out three steps to act as an automatic interpreter. First, it transcribes the speaker's words using a speech recognition program. The transcribed text is then translated through Bing Translator and finally read aloud by a vocal synthesizer. A text transcript of the call is also displayed on the screen.
Microsoft's system relies on automatic machine learning technology, meaning it becomes more accurate the more it is used. For this reason, the company is eager to recruit a high volume of test users, including speakers of languages expected to launch soon, including French, Chinese, Arabic, Russian and German.