Katarzyna Petru
YouTube is expanding its automatic dubbing feature to make it easier for people who do not know the original language to watch films. The tool uses artificial intelligence to translate speech and replace the original soundtrack with a narration version in another language. Currently, automatic dubbing supports 27 languages, and users can specify their preferred language in their account settings. If a particular language version is available, YouTube will automatically play it so that content from around the world is understandable right after clicking "play."
Less "robotically". YouTube improves auto-dubbing
YouTube admits that automatic dubbing can be annoying if it sounds too artificial or doesn't match the visuals. That's why the platform has introduced a new feature called Expressive Speech, which aims to better convey the tone of voice, emotions, and pace of speech in the translated audio track. The goal is to make dubbing sound as natural as possible and to resemble the original. The feature is already available for channels in several languages, including Polish, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese, and YouTube announces a gradual expansion of the list. At the same time, a pilot system called Lip Sync is also being tested, which gently adjusts the lip movements of the speaking person to the translated sound, which is intended to reduce the effect of "out of sync" visuals and audio. Although the dubbing is created automatically, creators maintain full control — they can completely disable this feature or replace it with their own language version. YouTube also uses smart filters that prevent dubbing content where the translation doesn’t make sense, such as films without dialogue or materials based solely on music.
YouTube acknowledges that automatic dubbing still has its flaws. The problems often stem from inaccurate speech recognition or poor audio quality in the original material. However, the platform emphasizes that the system will gradually improve with the influx of additional data and user feedback. At the same time, YouTube is increasingly focusing on AI-based personalization. An example is the Recap feature, which assigns users a specific "profile" based on their viewing history, helping to better match recommended content and how it's presented. This is another step towards a more intelligent and personalized viewing experience.
Source: digitaltrends.com
