G20 Summit: Bhashini’s AI-Powered Technology Enables Conversations in 8 Different Languages and Beyond
The National e-Governance Division has introduced ‘Bhashini Jugalbandi’ to facilitate multilingual discussions for the upcoming G20 Leaders’ Summit on September 9-10. When delegates from around the world visit New Delhi for the event, the innovative AI chatbot also supports all G20 languages. including German, Spanish, Mandarin and French.
This state-of-the-art technology allows users to ask questions in any Indian language and get real-time answers in text or audio format. The chatbot works seamlessly with popular messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram, and acts as a bridge for communication in different languages. To start a conversation, users only need to send “Hello” on the messaging platforms, after which they can select the language of their choice and continue asking questions using text or voice notes.
“For example, if someone asks about the results of the G20 digital economy ministerial meetings or places to visit in Delhi, the chatbot will respond either by text message or voice message. For Indian languages, we have integrated the Bhashini API and for foreign languages, we have used other available APIs,” said an official of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD).
In messaging platforms, the chatbot offers 10 Indian languages and eight foreign languages with a ninth option for “more foreign languages”. It also shares information about itself in the same chat, saying: “This G20 Jugalbandi bot can also translate between all G20 official languages. To learn more about Jugalbandi, type ‘aboutjugalbandi’ into the chat for more information.”
It also states that it is an open-source AI-powered chatbot that can process information from various sources and provide real-time responses to queries. It was co-developed by OpenNyAI and AI4Bharat as a digital public good that aims to address a wide range of accessibility challenges across multiple sectors.
The G20 Jugalbandi bot can answer general event-related questions. It also suggests some questions to the user such as: what is the funding track; what were the results of the Urban20 initiative? which will host the G20 in 2024 after India; and more.
