The Pulse
Google Research presents Language Explorer for global language data
Google Research is presenting Language Explorer, an interactive web platform for exploring linguistic diversity through visualizations and data. The tool is also featured as an interactive installation at a new Museum of Communication exhib
AI.info Team · Written with AI · fact-checked ·
A platform for exploring language data
Google Research is presenting Language Explorer as an interactive web platform for exploring linguistic diversity through visualizations and data. The platform brings together information from thousands of languages, drawing on an open-source dataset called LinguaMeta.
Google says the project was developed as part of its 1,000 Languages Initiative. The company describes the tool as a way for researchers, educators and language enthusiasts to discover and visualize language diversity around the world.
On display in Berlin
The tool is featured as an interactive installation in a new exhibition at the Museum of Communication Berlin. Called “Real Talk! Language. Power. World.,” the exhibition examines language’s connections with identity, society and technology.
The Berlin exhibition is scheduled to run through February 2028, with a further presentation at the Museum of Communication Frankfurt through September 2029. An online companion to the museum exhibition began on November 6, and Google directs visitors to explore Language Explorer online as well.
Google’s language work
Google situates the platform within its broader efforts to develop language technologies. The company says it began a small Google Translate experiment in 2006 with English and Arabic; it now supports nearly 250 languages and handles around a trillion translated words every month, according to Google.
The company also says its Android keyboard, Gboard, supports more than 900 language varieties. Google points to Project Vaani in India and Project Waxal in Africa as grassroots initiatives that partner with local organizations to gather open speech data across underserved languages.
Google says Project Waxal partners with local organizations to collect thousands of hours of open speech data. Google adds that language preservation involves working with native speakers, academic institutions and cultural organizations, as well as gathering speech data.
Community partnerships
Google says its partnerships include a coalition with the Gates Foundation, which it describes as supporting digital tools that reflect the nuances and voices of local communities. The company says its broader approach to language technology involves working with communities in ways aligned with their heritage, history, values and context.
The Language Explorer is presented by Google as one way to visualize the breadth of language diversity. Its Berlin installation brings that exploration into a museum exhibition, while the online platform is available to people who cannot attend in person.