Google Translate has made a significant expansion, adding Cantonese as one of 110 new languages supported by its generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technology. Users can now translate between 243 languages, including Cantonese, a Chinese dialect spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, parts of Guangdong province, and Chinese immigrant communities worldwide. This addition comes in response to high demand for Cantonese translation services.
Cantonese and Mandarin share Chinese characters but differ in grammar, terms, and structure, which makes it challenging to find suitable data and train models. With Google Translate’s large language model (LLM) PaLM 2, the service has become more efficient at learning closely related languages like Cantonese and Mandarin.
The advancement of LLMs has prompted a technological race between big tech companies and startups to enhance AI tools and services. Google recently introduced its Gemma 2 LLM, following Microsoft’s efforts to improve its Edge web browser features. Google also implemented new features in its Chrome mobile browser, such as personalized search suggestions and live sports updates.
While Google Translate is not the only service to offer Cantonese translation, it remains popular among Internet users in Hong Kong. Microsoft’s Bing search engine and OpenAI’s LLMs also support Cantonese translation. Additionally, SenseTime, a Chinese AI company, launched a Cantonese-language LLM tailored for Hong Kong users.
In addition to adding Cantonese, Google Translate has introduced other languages to its platform, including Punjabi (Shahmukhi) and Hindi-related languages like Awadhi and Marwadi. This expansion highlights the increasing global reach and capabilities of AI-powered translation services.
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https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3268410/google-translate-now-supports-cantonese-after-its-biggest-language-expansion-driven-ai