Google Meet Unveils Voice Translation: How to Enable French Feature!

Announced at the Google I/O conference in May, the French voice translation feature is now available on Google Meet. This new tool leverages artificial intelligence to enable seamless interaction among users who speak different languages by translating spoken words almost instantly. Currently, this feature is exclusive to subscribers of Google AI Pro or Ultra and is only available on desktop. It represents a significant advancement in Google’s video conferencing tools, highlighting their focus on language and translation technologies.

Near-Instant Voice Translation, True to the Original Voice

Google Meet’s latest feature goes beyond simple automatic translation of a foreign speaker’s words. It is powered by AudioLM, a model developed by DeepMind. Unlike traditional methods that convert audio to text, translate the text, and then synthesize it back into voice, AudioLM operates directly within the sound environment.

This approach not only minimizes latency but also retains the original speaker’s vocal characteristics, as explained by Google. Intonations, rhythm, and emotions are more naturally replicated in the target language, aiming to make the translation feel less mechanical and more fluid for the participants. However, Google notes that the translation isn’t entirely instantaneous, as there is a slight delay of a few seconds due to AI processing.

This feature allows French-speaking participants in video meetings to converse in their native language and have their words translated almost instantly into English or Spanish for other attendees, closely matching their voice, tone, intonations, and emotions.

As with any technology still in beta, there are some limitations. Users may experience translation errors, unusual intonations, or variations in quality depending on their network connection, Google warns. For now, the available language pairs include English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and now French, with plans to add more languages in the future.

How to Enable Voice Translation in Google Meet

For now, voice translation is only available on desktop for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. It must be activated by them at the start of a meeting.

From the Meet interface, the meeting host needs to go to Meeting Tools located at the bottom right of the screen, then select Voice Translation. They must then choose the desired language pair and click on Enable translation for all users. A dedicated badge (featuring a kanji and an A) will then appear at the top right of each participant’s screen, indicating that the feature is active.

Participants then need to set their preferences. By clicking on the Voice Translation badge, each individual can specify the language they are speaking and the language they wish to hear. This step requires explicitly allowing the translation of their voice so that others can hear it in their chosen language. Settings can be adjusted at any time, and it is possible to disable the translation for oneself or for the entire meeting.