On October 11, 2022 at Google Cloud Next ’22, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, announced the launch of Translation Hub, the company’s enterprise-scale document translation service.
Pichai described Translation Hub as “Google Cloud’s AI agent that helps companies translate content in over 135 languages.” He added, “It takes full documents including images and translates them while preserving layouts and formatting.”
Among those targeted by the service, according to the Google CEO, are researchers who want to share their findings with a global audience, product and service providers that want to reach underserved markets, and governments.
Share an article »
ProZ.com blog »
Spain
Local time: 00:16
Spanish to English
+ ...
For 'enterprise-scale', read 'market-busting'. If this works properly, it could mean the death knell of business for many human translators, who will likely be forced into accepting MT post-editing jobs in order to survive.
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
If this works properly
I suspect it does little more than give larger organisations a more convenient approach to doing what their individual employees already do by copying and pasting material into Google Translate. Let's watch how it goes.
Dan
Denmark
Local time: 00:16
Member (2014)
English to Danish
+ ...
Google does things really well (Check Google Maps) - and to me, this is the exploration of GT/MTPE, that already's killing the industry softly. This is just the accelerated version of what happened to NAVIGON and most of the GPS/navigation products. So - I think, there's be a few, really awesome translators - for patents/law - and some masses for MTPE .. and then the sweet days are unfortunately over for most (of us)
(Sorry to bring the dark and gloomy perception)
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Google does things really well (Check Google Maps)
Google has had dozens of failed projects, most recently Stadia, but also things like Chrome apps, Google Video, and so on. They try things, it doesn't work out, they move on. Interesting list of a couple of hundred discontinued Google projects here, for those with a short memory.
Regards,
Dan
Russian Federation
Local time: 01:16
Italian to Russian
+ ...
this project can be useful from the educational point that the things can be translated. Many people are unaware of this.
[Edited at 2022-10-23 23:38 GMT]
Netherlands
Local time: 00:16
Member (2006)
English to Afrikaans
+ ...
https://cloud.google.com/translation-hub/docs/user-post-edit ▲ Collapse
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Companies hoping to save tons of money will have a nasty surprise when they realise just how long it takes and how expensive it is to do post-editing, even if you pay peanuts.
Samuel, perhaps "especially" rather than "even".
What's the old saw? If you think a trained and skilled professional with decades of experience is expensive, wait until you see what an amateur will cost you.
Dan
[Edited at 2022-10-27 10:27 GMT]
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
Serbian to English
+ ...
Google does things really well (Check Google Maps)
Google has had dozens of failed projects, most recently Stadia, but also things like Chrome apps, Google Video, and so on. They try things, it doesn't work out, they move on. Interesting list of a couple of hundred discontinued Google projects here, for those with a short memory.
Regards,
Dan
Of course!
Only those who never do anything never make mistakes, only those who never take any risks never fail.
Understandably, Google won't keep advertising failed projects.
As for the reports of the demise of protein-based translators, made obsolete by silicon-based AI, they seem to be grossly exaggerated.
As Samuel Murray pointed out, there is the cold shower of the costs of so-called "post editing" waiting round the corner to bring to their senses excited penny pinchers.
Another small detail: I can't see any mention of "confidentiality", everything is done on Google-owned computers, and it's advertised only for "projects you want the whole world to know about". Using THAT for commercial negotiations or internal documents would surely be a good idea - what could possibly go wrong?
[Edited at 2022-10-28 18:20 GMT]
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:16
Serbian to English
+ ...
For 'enterprise-scale', read 'market-busting'. If this works properly, it could mean the death knell of business for many human translators, who will likely be forced into accepting MT post-editing jobs in order to survive.
There is a number of other professions where being in command of more than one language is a huge advantage, if not a requirement. All far more interesting than trying to make presentable some automated word salad.
United States
Local time: 18:16
English to Finnish
+ ...
Your Finnish translation for "legal briefs" is something like "judicial underpants".
Germany
Local time: 00:16
English to Czech
+ ...
Another small detail: I can't see any mention of "confidentiality", everything is done on Google-owned computers, and it's advertised only for "projects you want the whole world to know about". Using THAT for commercial negotiations or internal documents would surely be a good idea - what could possibly go wrong?
[Edited at 2022-10-28 18:20 GMT]
Exactly my thoughts. And this service is supposedly to be used "by governments"?! I'll believe it when I see it, esp. here in Germany...
To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:
You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »
This discussion can also be accessed via the ProZ.com forum pages.