Google Translate Expands to Include 110 New Languages

Google announced on Thursday that Google Translate is now expanded to include 110 new languages. This update will assist 614 million native speakers worldwide, enhancing communication across various linguistic backgrounds. Google stated that the expanded service encompasses major global languages with over 100 million speakers and languages spoken by smaller Indigenous communities. Some of these languages have very few native speakers but are actively supported through revitalization efforts.

Most of the new languages added to Google Translate are from Africa, marking the largest expansion of African languages so far, including Fon, Kikongo, Luo, Ga, Swati, Venda, and Wolof. In 2022, Google introduced 24 new languages using zero-shot machine translation, where a machine learning model learns to translate into another language without any prior examples. Google also mentioned their “1,000 languages initiative,” aiming to develop AI models that support the 1,000 most spoken languages globally. Among the newly added languages, Punjabi (Shahmukhi) is a variety of Punjabi written in the Perso-Arabic script and is the most spoken language in Pakistan. Additionally, Tok Pisin, an English-based creole and the lingua franca of Papua New Guinea, is now available; English speakers may find it somewhat comprehensible when translated.