On August 29, 2018 Google launched a feature for Google Go, which uses AI to read out loud articles in up to 28 different languages.
It is only a lightweight app for consumers in emerging markets as Google recently expanded Google Go in the past December to India and Indonesia and other regions including sub-Saharan Africa. The new feature is extremely useful in developing their market for two reasons:
- It increases Google Go’s value for users that rely on old-school network as this application can be optimized to work with 2G networks and later. According to GSMA, 96% of mobile connections in sub- Saharan Africa were 2G or 3G.
- It creates accessibility for consumers who would rather not type or read text.
This latest update is considered a major step in Google’s effort to develop voice technology, giving Google a momentum to reach the next billion online users. But we certainly need specific standards to control the development of AI-based technologies. That is why MDI developed ethical frameworks and AI standards for AI World Society with other scholars and experts from Harvard University, MIT, Hitachi, Google, etc.
