Amazon has unveiled a new capability for Alexa called Live Translation, designed to facilitate real-time conversation between individuals speaking different languages. This functionality relies on Amazon's advanced speech recognition and neural machine translation technologies, currently offering support for translations between English and French, Spanish, Hindi, Brazilian Portuguese, German, and Italian.

Initiating Live Translation is simple for Echo device users. A voice command such as “Alexa, translate Spanish” will begin the process of translating between English and Spanish. Amazon states that once a beep is heard, users can speak naturally, including pausing between sentences, as Alexa will automatically identify the language being used and translate accordingly. For those using Echo Show devices, the translated text will be displayed on the screen in addition to being spoken aloud.

To conclude a translation session, simply say “Alexa, stop.”

Reports from Yahoo Finance in 2018 indicated that Amazon was developing a universal language translation feature.

This new feature positions Alexa as a stronger competitor to Google devices, which utilize Google’s established Translate service through Google Assistant. Google Home devices first introduced on-the-fly conversation translation in early 2019 with a feature known as Interpreter Mode, supporting numerous languages across a variety of Google devices – including smart speakers, displays, clocks, and even phones and tablets. However, the initial implementation of live translation within Google’s Pixel Buds did not perform as expected.

The effectiveness of Alexa’s new translation feature will need to be evaluated through practical use following its release today.

Live translation represents the newest addition to a series of language-related enhancements for Echo devices.

This update builds upon last year’s introduction of multilingual mode for users in the U.S., which enables Alexa to understand and respond to a blend of languages like English and Spanish, French and English, and Hindi and English. Alexa is also capable of translating individual words or phrases into over 50 different languages.

Amazon highlights that, beyond improving communication, this feature can assist with language acquisition and facilitate interactions between hotel guests and staff through Alexa for Hospitality, its specialized platform for the hospitality sector.