Google recently announced that it has introduced a batch of new artificial intelligence functions based on Gemini to its Google Translate application on Android and iOS platforms to further strengthen the understanding of idioms, spoken expressions and context, so that users can communicate in foreign languages more naturally and appropriately in different situations.
Before the emergence of "quick-answer" features such as AI Overviews, Google Translate has always been the main tool for users to process foreign language content. After adding the "real-time translation" feature last year, it is now once again ushering in an important upgrade for AI.
Google said that the newly added Gemini feature is designed to help users "appropriate" in different tones and scenarios, from casual chats to formal meetings, to more accurately match appropriate expressions. The new function is especially aimed at idioms and colloquial expressions that are difficult to cover in traditional dictionaries. For example, when a user tries to translate the English phrase “It’s raining cats and dogs” into other languages, the system no longer translates it literally word for word, but instead gives priority to looking for idiomatic expressions with similar meanings in the target language.
In terms of product form, two new tabs will be added to the Translate app to interact with Gemini: One is "Understand". After users enter the phrase to be translated, they can switch to this tab to get more detailed instructions on the meaning and usage scenarios of the expression. The second is "Ask", where users can continue to ask questions in natural language, such as "What is the most authentic way to say 'beating a dead horse' in Spanish?" The system will give corresponding expression suggestions.
Currently, these Gemini features are available in the United States and India for Android and iOS versions of Google Translate, and web version support will be launched later. At this stage, Google Translate supports a total of 249 languages, and Gemini has supported more than 100 languages in text generation and understanding. This means that not all languages supported by Translate can use these AI features immediately, but Google claims that it has covered most major languages in the world.