I did say "near" :)

I think you will be surprised. It won't take decades. More like within a decade.

Think about when 5G comes on stream (and then 6G etc). If that gets exploited properly you're going to have access to millions of conversations across the world, in near real time. That's a lot of data that can be crunched and analysed.

A lot of nuance in conversation comes from facial expression - AI can already work out if people are happy, sad etc. Google (and others, especially in China) will have the opportunity to learn so much from analysing data from existing tools - such as Duo - and the new tools that will get developed.

Sure, it might get foxed initially by a dialect or obscure language but for everyday languages? To be good enough for the average person to hold an average conversation? It'll happen. It's already well on it's way, and it's getting better.

Judging the likely success of AI translation on Google translate is going to look like saying a Tesla could never exist because a Model T was so basic.

Let's face it - if a spotty teenager can survive a 2 week french exchange off the back of a few years of 3 one hour lessons per week... AI is not going to have a problem.

Posted By: CWC on May 24th 2019 at 21:28:07

Message Thread

Just read Google are trialling an ai service called Translatotron. (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 19:04:26
- I do and no. (n/m) (NCFC) - APB, May 25, 09:16:29
- Wouldn't need too many words to translate me (NCFC) - LittleMouseWithClogs, May 24, 21:02:47
- I think I've found the output of a prototype actually (NCFC) - Old Man, May 24, 20:29:41
  - That is brillers. (n/m) (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 21:04:03
    - Number 11 is exactly right (n/m) (NCFC) - watfordcanary, May 24, 21:52:23
- It's a fascinating concept (NCFC) - Old Man, May 24, 20:09:30
- 80% useful. 20% recipe for disaster (n/m) (NCFC) - Steve in Holland, May 24, 19:19:30
  - I would be a bit concerned about how accurate the translation was (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 19:43:37
    - In time it will be near flawless (n/m) (NCFC) - CWC, May 24, 19:54:10
      - no, it'll never be flawless (NCFC) - Worzel Scrimmage, May 24, 20:24:33
        
        I did say "near" :) (NCFC) - CWC, May 24, 21:28:07
        
        you could be right, but that's what they were saying about translation software years ago (NCFC) - Worzel Scrimmage, May 24, 21:33:06
        
        Oh I hear you (NCFC) - CWC, May 24, 21:44:54
        
        that's also true, we're on the cusp of a new industrial revolution (NCFC) - Worzel Scrimmage, May 24, 21:50:57
        
        Yup (NCFC) - CWC, May 24, 21:59:33
        
        yes, I think so too. Surely engineering in particular will be an AI field (NCFC) - Worzel Scrimmage, May 24, 22:05:22
        
        As you say dialects - Geordie to Fen Gibbon! (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 20:59:25
      - Probably will. I'm just 'old school' in that I try to do maths in my head (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 20:14:06
- Oh ma vache mon ami! Quand arrive le babelfish? (n/m) (NCFC) - Worthing Yellow, May 24, 19:10:53
  - Nope, no idea. (n/m) (NCFC) - Men without hats, May 24, 21:04:33

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