The famous gaming platform Roblox has a massive daily traffic of 70 million users worldwide based on data abstracted till September 2023, where different languages in 2.4 billion messages roam daily throughout the chats in the multiplayer games available on the platform. Yet, the problem of language barriers has always been existing in live chats, and Roblox Corporation are now introducing a new Roblox live AI chat translation feature to save the awkward situation, aiming to facilitate communication regardless of the player’s mother tongue.
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Unveiling the Hero That Broke the Language Barriers
Roblox Corporation are breaking down language barriers in gaming live chats with the Roblox live AI chat translation feature that they built. They even claimed that the AI feature works so swiftly and seamlessly that users may initially overlook the translation process occurring in the messages from other players. This Roblox live AI chat translation feature is compatible with 16 languages, encompassing English, French, Japanese, Thai, Polish, and Vietnamese.
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A Message by Roblox Corporation
According to The Verge, they mentioned that Roblox CTO Dan Sturman expressed the objective of enhancing user comfort in interactions on the platform in an interview. The aim is to facilitate understanding among Roblox users, making conversations more accessible. The translator operates automatically, translating chats; however, users have the option to click on an icon to view the original message.
“We know engagement goes up when users speak or interact with others in their own language,” Sturman said. “We took that concept and removed the language barrier with the automatic translation.”
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The Power Behind the Roblox Live AI Chat Translation Feature
Roblox initiated the process by constructing a Large Language Model (LLM) based on transformer technology, trained on both publicly available and internal data. This LLM was integrated into a Mixture of Experts (MoE) architecture, housing multiple translation applications, each specialising in a specific language. This innovative approach enabled Roblox to optimise resources without the necessity of constructing individual LLMs for each language. Sturman highlighted that, given the scale of their undertaking, the team found it more feasible to create their own model rather than modifying an off-the-shelf LLM.
In addition to the development of their own model for the Roblox live AI chat translation feature, Sturman mentioned that Roblox actively oversees chats, primarily for trust and safety purposes, and remains open to feedback if there are any imperfections in the translations. He emphasised that the implementation of the chat translation AI has no impact on the existing privacy and safety protocols; prohibited words will continue to be blocked as before. This measurement is extremely important as most of the Roblox users are teens that are younger than the age of 16.
Roblox Live AI Chat Translation Feature Accessibility
The Roblox live AI chat translation feature will be accessible across all Roblox experiences utilising the TextChatService, Roblox’s chat engine. This feature also aligns with Roblox’s overarching strategy of delivering tailored experiences, encompassing localised payment options, content, avatars, and, chats within the in-game experience.
Roblox’s Development on AI
In recent years, Roblox Corporation, in their efforts to attract older audiences, have actively employed generative AI models to improve the user experience. The introduction of an AI chatbot assistant for developers last year is one such initiative. Additionally, the platform automatically translates image assets, such as text on buildings, into the user’s default language.
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The Hopes and Future Development on the Roblox Live AI Chat Translation Feature
Sturman expressed the aspiration for the translator model to evolve beyond text chats, envisioning potential applications such as using AI to convert non-compliant (Banned) words into compliant ones or integrating it into real-time voice chats for voice translation. He emphasised the multitude of possibilities for future enhancements.
Looking into Seamless Communication in Roblox Chats
With the many different languages worldwide, language barriers can’t be avoided and the emergence of translation models tends to turn out extremely important. Various tech and AI companies are actively working on AI translator models. Meta, for instance, introduced SeamlessM4T, a speech-to-text and text-to-text translator proficient in handling almost 100 languages. Google’s Universal Speech Model is another example, translating approximately 100 languages and already in use on YouTube for caption translations.
The evolution of seamless communication in Roblox is expected to become more extensive and improved, and not only in Roblox but also in other platforms, where AI translation is anticipated to enhance and integrate seamlessly. Given that communication is inherent in group interactions, platforms are likely to invest in advancing AI translation for a more enhanced user experience.