Samsung Electronics is set to introduce a groundbreaking real-time call translation service using artificial intelligence (AI) technology in its upcoming flagship Galaxy smartphone, slated for an early release next year.
The move reflects Samsung’s substantial investment in the global AI race, a trend observed across various tech companies delving into advanced AI applications such as chatbots replicating human speech and software generating lifelike images and videos.
As the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer, Samsung aims to simplify cross-language conversations with its new real-time translation feature. The technology will seamlessly provide translation in both audio and text while callers are engaged in a live conversation. A Samsung spokesperson informed AFP that the feature would function even if the call partner uses a non-Samsung smartphone, utilizing on-device AI technology.
The specific number of supported languages has yet to be determined. However, Samsung envisions the experience of utilizing the real-time translation feature as easy as “turning on closed captions” in streaming shows. The company emphasizes the security of private conversations, assuring users that such discussions will remain securely stored on their phones.
Analysts acknowledge the potential significance of Samsung’s AI achieving real-time translation in voice calls but express curiosity about its practical functioning. Lee Won-kang, head of AI-based translation startup XL8’s South Korea operation, suggests a processing time of three to four seconds for the AI to comprehend the original content, translate it, and vocalize it to the listener. Questions also arise about the voice used in the translations, whether it will be an AI-generated voice or retain the original voice.
The announcement aligns with Samsung’s broader AI developments, including the ongoing work on the Samsung Gauss generative AI model, covering language, code, and image fields. The company plans to integrate this AI system into various products, though specific details about timing and models remain unspecified.
Samsung’s language AI, part of the Gauss model, is expected to aid users in composing emails and summarizing documents, while the code AI will facilitate easier and quicker coding for developers. Additionally, the image AI is designed to convert low-resolution images to high-resolution, as well as generate and edit images.
Choi Won-joon, head of Samsung’s smartphone R&D sector, anticipates that embedded generative AI will revolutionize the way people perceive their phones. Meanwhile, concerns about AI technology, particularly related to data privacy and disinformation, continue to be a focal point for governments and watchdogs. The recent executive order issued by US President Joe Biden on regulating AI underscores the ongoing efforts to address potential risks associated with the technology.
Samsung reassures users that its GalaxyAI will operate on their devices, emphasizing that private conversations will remain confined to the phone and not be shared externally.
