Facebook enables AI-powered English-Spanish translations in Messenger
Video: Facebook continues to fight false news
Featured
Facebook on Thursday is bringing AI-powered English-Spanish translations to Messenger users in the US and Mexico.
The translation feature, called "M suggestions for translations," was initially rolled out in May to US buyers and sellers on Marketplace, Facebook's hyperlocal e-commerce portal. M is the AI-powered assistant in Messenger that Facebook rolled out with limited functionality last year.
Read also: On Facebook, Zuckerberg gets privacy and you get nothing
With this new capability, any time a Messenger user gets a message in a language different from their own default language, M will offer to translate it. If a user accepts the translation, M will ask if they'd like to enable auto-translation.
For now, it will only offer translations from English to Spanish, and vice-versa, in conversations taking place in the United States or Mexico. Facebook plans to eventually launch M suggestions for translations in other languages and countries.
Read also: Facebook data privacy scandal: A cheat sheet - TechRepublic
Translation is one of the many "intelligent" features that companies like Facebook are using to make their platforms and tools more appealing to business users and consumers. Microsoft earlier this year announced it was bringing in-line message translation to Teams, its chat-collaboration platform.
Read also: Facebook Keyword Snooze lets you silence spoilers - CNET
Adjust these Facebook privacy settings to protect your personal data
Previous and related coverage:
Europe's top court has just blown a big hole in Facebook's fan-page terms
New CJEU ruling in Facebook case could have "far-reaching effects" for GDPR contracts.
Facebook's fake account crackdown: Our AI spots nudity, hate, terror before you do
Facebook's new report attempts to convey how effective its AI is at flagging bad content and fake accounts.