Google Meet has introduced real-time speech translation. The technology lets participants in video calls hear synchronous translation while preserving the speaker’s voice timbre and intonation.
Now you can hear each other with almost instant translation. At the same time, the speech is said to sound natural, without robotic intonation, thanks to new AI models from Google DeepMind.
For now, the feature is available to private customers and works with English and Spanish, but localization for other regions and availability for Google Workspace corporate customers are expected soon.
This is a step toward a new format of communication without language barriers—without subtitles and message translation. Now it’s about a truly “live” conversation with synchronous interpretation. The ability to hear emotions in the speaker’s voice even through translation is described as a move toward more human communication.
With the new capabilities enabled by AI, a certain iconic “nasal” dubbing from the 1990s may be something we’re done with—and, admittedly, we’ll miss it.
