Google introduced Google Go — which is essentially a data-light search app for emerging markets — last year, and this new feature is designed to increase its appeal across India, particularly for non-English audiences.
A quick refresher: Hindi and English are the official national languages of India, but its billion-plus population is hugely diverse with more than 20 other languages recognized. The majority of those living in urban India are comfortable with English, but companies are increasingly aware that they need to cater to other tongues in order to offer even basic online services to the rest (majority) of the country.
Google said the addition can make website reading just like watching TV or listening to the radio. The feature reads out text in one of 28 supported languages whilst highlighting each word on the page as it goes. The firm said it uses AI to seek out the most important information on a web page, and also to play it back in each language.
There are obvious use cases for activities that pull attention away from reading, such as cooking, but more widely the feature is seen as part of Google Go’s general approach to making information more accessible to those who are relatively inexperienced when it comes to using the internet.
source: TechCrunch