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Outside of SGE, if you enter one of these kinds of words without context into Translate in a web browser or say one of them out loud when using the Translate app, for instance, the algorithm will assess all of the potential results, then give you options to clarify what you mean. For example, Translate options for the word \u201cbat\u201d include the animal, the equipment and the action.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve written or said an entire phrase that includes a homonym, the algorithm will analyze the phrase in context, leading it to a more accurate representation of how you\u2019re using the homonym than if it were simply relying on statistics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also done a lot of work on curating data,\u201d Macduff says. Google partners with dictionary providers and third-party translators who gather words and phrases in different languages, and the team studies public databases to better understand how to build new features in Translate. \u201cWe also trained a language model to recognize the difference between high-quality translations and low-quality translations,\u201d Macduff says. The \u201ccontribute\u201d option also gives Google Translate users the chance to help with translations or offer corrections.<\/p>\n
Translate will get better and better at handling homonyms and other translations that require context over time, and the team thinks it\u2019s important to stay nimble in order to do so. \u201cAI is evolving, and computer power is evolving, but language is evolving, too,\u201d Apu says. Words take on new meanings and usages all the time \u2014 take \u201cslay\u201d or \u201ccancel.\u201d The work keeps the team on their toes, but their core goal remains the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur vision for the future is to enable very fluid interactions for people,\u201d says Apu. \u201cWe want to take away all the barriers for communication that we can, so everyone can just talk to another person, no matter what language they speak.\u201d Or what kind of bass they\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n