YouTube is rolling out a new feature that uses AI to automatically dub videos into multiple languages, making it easier for creators to reach a wider audience. This technology, which maintains the original speaker’s voice, initially supports dubbing into nine languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Hindi, Indonesian, and Japanese.
The feature will be available to creators in the coming weeks, but initially only for new videos. YouTube first announced this AI-powered dubbing tool, previously known as “Aloud,” in September. The company plans to expand access to hundreds of thousands of creators and add support for more languages.
YouTube is not the only platform exploring AI-powered translation. Spotify introduced a similar feature in 2023, aiming to create a more natural and personalized listening experience for translated audio content. Meta also recently released its “universal language translator,” SeamlessM4T, which can translate between over 100 languages in various formats, including text-to-speech and text-to-text.
These advancements in AI translation technology have the potential to significantly impact content creation and accessibility. By automatically translating videos, creators can reach international audiences without the need for costly and time-consuming manual dubbing. This opens up new opportunities for creators to expand their reach and connect with viewers around the world.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that AI translation technology is still under development. There’s a possibility of mistranslations or inaccuracies, especially with complex or nuanced language. Creators should be mindful of this and consider reviewing translated content to ensure accuracy and avoid potential misunderstandings.
