Google Translate adds 5 new Philippine languages

Google Translate has expanded the languages it supports in the platform by adding a total of 110 new languages from all over the world, making this its largest language expansion yet.

Google Communications officer Mervin Wenke confirmed to GMA News Online that Google Translate has added support for five Philippine languages, including Bikol, Hiligaynon, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, and Waray.

Previously, Google Translate only supported three Philippine languages: Filipino, Cebuano, and Ilocano.

Google Translate's latest language expansion also includes Cantonese, Punjabi, Afar, Manx, NKo, and Tamazight, among others.

According to Isaac Caswell, Google Translate’s senior software engineer, the addition of 110 new languages is made possible by PaLM 2 large language model, an artificial intelligence with “improved multilingual, reasoning, and coding capabilities."

“As technology advances, and as we continue to partner with expert linguists and native speakers, we’ll support even more language varieties and spelling conventions over time,” Isaac said in a Google blog.

— Hermes Joy Tunac/CDC/LA, GMA Integrated News