How does everyone feel about local translator apps? I need a translator App for work with tts. I ditched google and got something called Rtranslator, and Sherpa tts which uses something called piper models.
I’m not sure what all of that amounts to, or if this any better than using google with llms? I can barely understand the language used when I try to learn what these components are. I’m not even sure if it is AI, or even the same kind of ai as something like google translate. Is is just as bad for the world as everything else? Or is it any better in any way other than being Foss and local? Do those things even matter when fighting ai?
To keep it simple, it is “AI,” and it is better than using something like ChatGPT directly for several reasons. The data stays on your device so it isn’t used to train future models. It doesn’t ping a large data center along with millions of others which draws more power than you simply using your phone. It removes dependency from the companies and theoretically even if a company went under tomorrow you could keep using the app on your phone, even offline.
It is not a panacea., depending on your personal philosophies. Rtranslator says it uses Whisper. This model was trained on a huge set of non consensual data and using a huge amount of power. Same thing with NLLB.
It also uses Google’s closed source MLKit which may include telemetry and analytics, but they say they are going to replace it in version 3.0.
I can go into more details if you need but I felt like that was already getting longer for what was supposed to be simple.
Thanks so much. Very informative. Seems better, but still nasty. Working on being able to get rid of the translator app and tts all together.
Personally we have started trying to learn languages instead.
We think offloading translation to machines is harmful, it leads to dependency and reduces the ability of all to accurately communicate, or learn about other cultures.
Plus, in a lot of cases these machines are just completely incorrect, and don’t understand local slang, parlance, idioms etc.
Therefore, long term it is worthwhile to learn a langauge properly, and likely more accurate when translated manually.
Fair enough. I work at a package shipping and printing station. I get about 4-6 different people speaking different languages trying to ship international packages, or get business print outs. And I just need transactions at the register for shipping or printing. Generally no idioms needed to get through an international shipment transaction. But depending on Arabic, Somali, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, or something completely out of left field. I need to be able to get through those transactions respectfully, and with efficiency. I’m learning Spanish, and getting decent. And Somali is very difficult for me but I’m trying. I can’t be that kid on tiktok who speaks everything to talk to everyone on the globe, let alone 5 common languages I see. These are simple information related questions and instructions. I’ve never had any problem with conveying simple information like that from a translator app reading or writing. So on top of not answering the question about what was asked. How we feel about one thing compared to another. You also rode your high horse of “its harmful to not learn every culture” simply in order to have a quick conversion related to a business transaction. Right into giving advise that will not help my situation at all. Nice bruv. I mean genuinely, what were you thinking writing this waffle, you fucking knob.
