Bonjour.

Je suis Lee Hopkins.

There are two items I want to report today.

Google

Firstly, Google has just upgraded its Translate app for Android and iOS. There are two changes:

1. Neural Machine Translation, or NMT, is now translating full sentences, taking into account context and producing a smoother translation. Before, it just translated chunks of phrases at a time. Google will roll out this exciting new development over the next few weeks.
2. You can download files to allow for offline translation, for when you are in areas with patchy or no connectivity. Each language only takes up around 35-45mb, so still leaving plenty of space on your phone.

This is a great step forward for international travellers and business people. Translating whole sentences—not just phrases—makes for more nuanced conversation and understanding.

EU

The second item I want to talk about involves the European Union.

Word has reached me that the EU has waded into the AI pool. Recognising that competition in the AI space is heating up, with China and America the current dominating countries, the EU is taking steps to ensure that member countries are not left out of the game.

There is money being thrown around in order to encourage greater investment by public and private sectors in AI, and as befits the community that brought us the challenging but necessary GDPR, a community-wide consultation and guidance on AI ethics.

Seeing as how the GDPR impacted the world of marketing and online communication in general, I think that the EU's determination to look at the ethics of AI is an important and welcome step. Expect more to come from the EU on this.

Well, that's it for this report. Stay tuned for more reports as they come to hand, and remember, go forth and communicate with passion!