Zoom is looking to one day offer real-time translation for video calls spoken in other languages.
The company will do so by buying a German startup called Kites, which has been developing AI-powered algorithms to “machine translate” other languages in real-time.
The goal is to provide “multi-language translation capabilities” for Zoom users, the company said in Tuesday’s announcement. “MT (machine translation) solutions will be key in enhancing our platform for Zoom customers across the globe,” said Velchamy Sankarlingam, president of product and engineering.
A universal translation function could certainly make Zoom indispensable for international exchanges. Currently, the video-conferencing software lets a meeting host several human interpreters, and integrate Zoom calls with a third-party closed captioning service. But the company has yet to offer a real-time automated translation service. (In contrast, Microsoft offered Skype Translator starting in 2015.)
In February, Zoom said it was preparing to break down language barriers by offering an automatic closed captioning service, dubbed Live Transcription, which it plans to launch this fall. It will be free to those who request access.
As for Kites, the German startup was created in 2015 to take the latest advancements in speech translation technology in academia and turn them into products. The startup’s team of 12 research scientists will now work with Zoom’s engineering team.
“We know Zoom is the best partner for Kites to help advance our mission and we are excited to see what comes next under Zoom’s incredible innovation engine,” said Kites’ co-founders Alex Waibel and Sebastian Stüker.