Samsung to extend AI call translation to KakaoTalk, other third-party apps

Samsung’s on-device AI, which offers live translation of multiple languages, will soon be available on third-party apps such as KakaoTalk.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung Electronics is extending its AI-powered live translation features to third-party apps for its upcoming Galaxy series, presumably in the Galaxy Flip 6 and Fold 6 launching next month.

It means that live translations service, previously only available for its native call function, will be usable with Kakao Talk's "Voice Call" and other third-party apps that support calls.

"Soon, Samsung is extending the power of Galaxy AI beyond Samsung’s own native calling app by expanding Live Translate to other third-party message apps to support voice calls, so you can stay in contact with friends or colleagues, communicating on your favorite apps in multiple languages," said Choi Won-joon, head of the R&D office at Samsung Electronics' Mobile eXperience (MX) Business in an editorial uploaded on the company's webpage Friday.

"And since this feature has been integrated into our on-device AI language translation model, users will be able to experience barrier-free communication without worrying about privacy issues like personal data being shared outside their phone when using Live Translate."

Samsung Electronics' Live Translate function, which was first introduced in the Galaxy S24 series early this year, conducts consecutive translation for calls in 16 languages but was only available through Galaxy's built-in call app.

The extension will allow users to access Samsung Electronics' AI features in a more flexible way.

Although Choi did not mention the specific model for the updates, he hinted at the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip and Fold 6 being unveiled in early July in Paris by saying "we will further optimize the Galaxy AI experience for the upcoming foldable devices."

Teaser image for Apple's WWDC24 [APPLE]

The announcement comes ahead of the Monday kickoff of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), an annual event of the Cupertino, California-based tech giant where it unveils its latest features and updates to operating systems and devices.

Although not confirmed yet, this year's WWDC is expected to reveal some major plans for the company's AI strategy for iPhones and other products.

Dubbed "Apple Intelligence," the newly envisioned AI features which will be announced at the event will be deployed on new versions of iPhones, iPads and Mac operating systems, according to Bloomberg. It also said there will be an announcement on the partnership with OpenAI to power its own ChatGPT-like chatbots. The Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6, Samsung Electronics' first foldable to launch with AI features, will be slimmer and lighter compared to the previous version, according to local reports. They will debut on July 10 in Paris ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics taking place in the French city from July 26.

"Our foldables are the most versatile and flexible form factor for Samsung Galaxy and when combined with Galaxy AI, these two complementary technologies will together unlock new possibilities," Choi said.

BY JIN EUN-SOO, LEE JAE-LIM [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]