Vatican Launches AI Translation System
The Vatican is launching an AI-powered simultaneous translation system for its liturgical celebrations. The new technology will support up to 60 languages in real-time, accessible to attendees via their smartphones.
- The technology is a collaboration between the Vatican, the AI language solutions company Translated, and Carnegie-AI LLC. The system is named Lara and was first developed by Translated in 2024. - The project was presented by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, and is part of a broader set of initiatives celebrating the 400th anniversary of the basilica's consecration. - Attendees access the service by scanning QR codes, which opens a website in their mobile browser, providing both audio and text translations without needing to download a separate application. - The AI model, Lara, is supported by a network of over 500,000 native-speaking professional translators to enhance its accuracy and sensitivity, particularly with complex liturgical language. - This initiative is part of a wider technological upgrade at the Vatican, which also includes a new "SmartPass" digital access platform to manage the flow of tourists and pilgrims entering the basilica. - The launch aligns with Pope Francis's ongoing dialogue about artificial intelligence, in which he has consistently called for AI to be developed and used in service of humanity, justice, and the common good, while respecting human dignity.
