
Books written in the Quechua Indigenous language sit behind a student during a class on medicinal plants, at a public primary school in Licapa, Peru. About 10 million people speak Quechua, but trying to automatically translate emails and text messages into the most widely spoken Indigenous language family in the Americas was nearly impossible before Google introduced it into its digital translation service on May 11, 2022. — AP
PARIS: A man from South Africa speaks Sepedi to a Peruvian woman who knows only Quechua, yet they can understand each other.
The universal translator is a staple of science fiction, but Google, Meta and others are locked in a battle to get as many languages as possible working with their AI models.
Subscribe to The Star Yearly Premium Plan for 30% off
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Full access to Web and App.
Monthly Plan
RM 13.90/month
RM 9.73/month
Billed as RM 9.73 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.
Annual Plan
RM 12.39/month
RM 8.63/month
Billed as RM 103.60 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.