Language learning after real-time translation in our headphones
Apple is developing real-time language translation for their AirPods. Hardware and software that offers this has been out for many years, but all of it is basically not good enough. But it seems that, within 10 years, we will get to very good real-time language translation with just a smartphone and normal consumer earbuds.
ChatGPT says around 8 GB of space (and 2-4 GB of RAM) is needed to translate between English and Spanish without a cellular connection. English↔Chinese is harder: 8-12 GB of RAM, latency at 3-6s and not sure how to bring latency down. And ChatGPT says that sarcasm and irony and general subtext is hard to live-translate for any model today, in any language.
But if it all works out, you could travel around the world and understand the overwhelming majority of what’s said around you. Will language learning apps lose users? Should Duolingo worry? I don’t think so. Even if the technology was perfect and you could completely rely on it, it is still a layer between you and the person speaking the other language. Most people like natural connections with other humans. Some of them have the time to fluently learn another language, and some only have some time. But the desire to make others happy by speaking their language, and the desire to understand what it’s like to think in another language, will stay within us.