Key Takeaways
- A new iPhone app called BabelEar offers real-time, in-ear language translation.
- The app uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to power its translations.
- BabelEar states it does not collect any user data, a key consideration for AI applications.
- While the app itself is available for download, users need their own OpenAI API keys and pay for translation usage.
- This development is part of a broader trend where AI is enhancing translation features across various tech products.
Language translation has come a long way, and generative AI like ChatGPT is pushing the boundaries even further. Many tech companies are now integrating advanced translation services into their offerings.
For example, Samsung features Live Translate in its Galaxy AI suite, and Google has incorporated translation into its Circle to Search. Google’s NotebookLM model also recently expanded its language support, making its AI-generated reports accessible to more users worldwide.
The evolution of these services continues, with rumors suggesting that future iOS updates might bring live translation to AirPods. However, iPhone users can already experience this kind of technology with a new app called BabelEar, which provides live, in-ear translation.
BabelEar leverages ChatGPT for its translation capabilities. According to information from BGR, a significant aspect of the app is its approach to privacy; it reportedly does not collect any user data.
The app promises “instant In-Ear AI-powered translation,” aiming for near-zero latency and high accuracy across over 100 languages and dialects. Its interface appears simple, translating spoken language in real time and providing transcriptions to help users follow along.
The developer, KapTable AI, states in its privacy policy that it currently does not collect usage data through the application, though future versions might include optional analytics. It also clarifies that audio data is processed via OpenAI’s WebRTC service for real-time translation.
So, is this advanced AI translation completely free? Not exactly. Users need to provide their own OpenAI API keys to use BabelEar. This means you’ll pay OpenAI based on your translation usage.
For instance, using a model like GPT-4o for text costs a certain amount per million tokens, and audio processing is typically more. However, these rates can make translation relatively affordable, with an estimated cost of under $2 for translating 10,000 words, according to a ChatGPT estimate. You only pay for what you use.
It’s also worth noting that OpenAI API data is not used to train OpenAI models by default, which is an important privacy setting to review when setting up your API keys.
BabelEar offers a dedicated solution for in-ear translation, but many major AI tools can also handle various translation tasks, whether it’s written text, images, or audio, depending on your needs and subscriptions.
