Google is always pioneering innovation, that has not changed for these upcoming earbuds. The tech company recently introduced a newly developed device: Imagine being at an exhibition selling your business idea in your native language in front of a diversity of nationalities. Not having to change your language in order to get your message across, wouldn’t that be great right? Currently, this is possible and Google is helping you. They recently unveiled their newest secret, Pixel Buds (“Google’s New Earbuds Instantly Translate 40 Languages”, 2018).
This technology is still in a starting phase so it is unclear the sort of results we can expect when skyrocketing towards success and is accepted by the general population. The question that naturally arises is: What are the implications if this technology gets mainstream? You can have a look from two perspectives. Firstly, the positive side; this device enables you to be in touch with a broader and more global audience. When travelling in your 20s around the world, which is common nowadays, the diversity of people you will meet is extensive. Some help from Google will enable you to make more deep and profound connections with people who are only able to communicate in their native language.
On the other hand, challenges in expressing yourself outside your mother tongue will lessen. Today, we live in a world getting more easy by the day. We just have to open an app and within a couple minutes there is a cab bringing us to wherever we want. We do not have to go out anymore for the groceries, no, no we ask Deliveroo to do our shopping. All the available technologies are making our lives too uncomplicated, that sounds weird isn’t it? What do you think?
In my opinion, day to day life is becoming too easy. While we live in our comfort zone, we are not confronting the scary outer world anymore but live in our safe shell. A new technology, like translatable earbuds, is great but we have to watch ourselves and do not fall in the trap of easiness.
Source:
Google’s New Earbuds Instantly Translate 40 Languages. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/kevin-j-ryan/google-pixel-buds-translator.html
Thanks for your interesting article, Job! For me it was exciting to read your article since I have not heard about the “Pixel Bud” technology before. I knew about translation devices such as “DeepL” that use AI to translate from one language to another. I agree with you that translation ear buds will help to erase language barriers and enable people to connect with each that were not before. I think that this will be a huge achievement since it gives people more opportunities. Moreover, I understand your downside points. I can also imagine that people might get to lazy to learn different languages after the introduction of such a technology.
Thank you for your interesting blog. The reason for this kind of innovative technologies is that we strive as humanity to make it as easy as possible for ourselves. Technology as translatable earbuds could be an improvement for getting in touch with a more global audience. You would be able to communicate in the easiest way with other people. However a big disadvantage which is not mentioned yet, is that we could become dependent of this kind of technology. If you only speak your native language you wouldn’t be able to communicate with other people if there is any malfunction of the technology. Your opinion about life getting too easy is spot on: me must continue innovating but keep in mind that you don’t get dependent of all the technology around you.