Google’s segment at CES has been filled with various announcements about its virtual assistant. The company announced a new set of Google Assistant devices with companies like Lenovo and Sonos. One of the more fascinating announcements from Google came in the form of Google’s new interpreter. Google announced a new built-in feature called the interpreter mode.
The Interpreter mode is a new feature that is expected to be rolled out as an update over a couple of weeks on Google Home device and smart displays. This new feature lets users translate other languages into their native language by interpreting the language, the Interpreter mode also puts the spoken text on the screen to provide aid for the conversation. For example: if a person is in another country or meeting someone who doesn’t speak the same language, the Google Interpreter can be set up to translate the spoken words in real time into user’s native language. The basic principle is that you speak into the device and the Interpreter will translate your words into a language that the other person speaks and vice-versa.
The Interpreter mode can be accessed by saying “Hey Google, be my French Interpreter” if the user wants to converse in French with someone who doesn’t speak French. Similarly, any language can be accessed. The list of the number of languages available hasn’t been provided yet but it can be assumed that the Interpreter will support all the major languages. Google has developed this feature keeping in mind the tourists and people who travel to other countries and need to communicate with the local staff in order to gain more information about the place such as routes and schedules.
Google Translate offered the same service but the Google Interpreter takes it a step further and offers a more seamless conversation as the translation is real-time and quick. The main aim of the Interpreter mode is not just to translate but also to encourage people to converse with others who do not speak the same language without the awkwardness.