# 🌏 The machine translation newsletter - September 2026

> Source: <https://newsletter.machinetranslate.org/p/the-machine-translation-newsletter-71a>
> Published: 2026-09-22 17:53:04+00:00

Hi folks! **Translation AI** is coming to **Tech Week**! Speakers from Google, Microsoft, DeepL, Meta, ModelFront, Krisp and more will meet up in person in San Francisco at this unique event bringing together key translation AI providers and enterprise localization leaders.

Live translation is getting more personal this month. **DeepL Voice** now preserves who’s speaking and how they sound, and **Google**’s **Gemini 3.8 Live** handles speakers switching languages mid-conversation.

On the model side, **GPT-6 Astra** is leading translation benchmarks, and **Cohere**’s new open model, **North Small Translate**, claims to beat both **DeepL** and **Google Translate**.

Enjoy — and share!

🗞️ **News**

- **[GPT-6 Astra](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wcfcu0/gpt6_astra_tested_in_translations/)** [leads machine translation benchmarks](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wcfcu0/gpt6_astra_tested_in_translations/) , but remains below human-level translation quality, according to tests by**RWS** and the**Last Translation Benchmark** .
- The newly implemented **[EU AI Act](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wk1q4k/eu_ai_act_exempts_translation_workflows_from_ai/)** does not require translation tools to**disclose AI** use, unlike text generators and rewriters.
- **HarperCollins** ’s new manga line,**[KAZE](https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-08-23/kaze-us-manga-imprint-plans-to-launch-with-5-8-titles-in-2027-to-grow-to-25-30-titles-per-year-by-/.240866)** , will not use**AI** translation, in support of human translators.
- **Anthropic** adds**[SynthID-Text](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-text-watermark)** [watermarking](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-text-watermark) to**Claude** ’s text output, which is kept when the text is copied or reformatted, but not when it’s translated or rephrased.
- **Google** limits its**[AI sign language](https://slator.com/google-ai-sign-language-tool-low-stakes-communication/)** [translation tool](https://deepmind.google/blog/putting-sign-language-ai-into-users-hands/) to casual conversation, citing accuracy and liability concerns.

🚀 **Launches**

- **Cohere** launches**[North Small Translate](https://huggingface.co/CohereLabs/North-Small-Translate-1.0)** , an open machine translation model with**218B parameters** (**25B** active) and a**16k** context length that outperforms other open MT models as well as**Google Translate** and**DeepL** across**50+ languages** .
- **DeepL Voice** launches[real-time](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzfa3/deepl_voice_launches_realtime_speaker_identity/) **[speaker identity](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzfa3/deepl_voice_launches_realtime_speaker_identity/)** [and](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzfa3/deepl_voice_launches_realtime_speaker_identity/) **[tone preservation](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzfa3/deepl_voice_launches_realtime_speaker_identity/)** for live meetings, keeping individual vocal characteristics and emotional delivery across**12 languages** .
- **Google Translate** launches**[iOS](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzjqv/google_translate_rolls_out_ios_and_android/)** [and](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzjqv/google_translate_rolls_out_ios_and_android/) **[Android](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzjqv/google_translate_rolls_out_ios_and_android/)** [upgrades](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzjqv/google_translate_rolls_out_ios_and_android/) :**Android** users can keep translating while using other apps or with the screen locked, and**iPhone** users can hold the phone to their ear to listen to the translation privately.
- **Google** launches**[Gemini 3.8 Live](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wk0zov/google_launches_gemini_38_live_with_realtime/)** , with real-time speech-to-speech reasoning and automatic language detection across**97 languages** for code-switching during live dialogue.

🛠️ **Community launches**

- **[LST — Local Subtitle Translate](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1whf4is/quick_update_lst_is_now_live_on_the_chrome_web/)** launches on the**Chrome Web Store** , using**Ollama** to translate**Netflix** subtitles locally in real time.
- **[i18n-keyless](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wh7yft/ive_built_an_i18n_library_and_automatic/)** , an open-source**internationalization** library with automatic translations, skips the usual setup of translation keys and per-language files.
- **[Manga Translator](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wdbq5x/i_made_a_tool_that_translates_manga_pages_while/)** detects speech bubbles, runs OCR, translates into**30+ languages** , and re-renders text back into the original bubbles.
- **[AITnovel](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w68gyn/i_made_an_ai_translation_service_specifically_for/)** , a paid AI translation service for entire novels, supports**TXT** ,**EPUB** , and**PDF** , with editable glossaries for names and terminology.
- **[ALST](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w1jgd5/alst_opensource_realtime_android_screen/)** , an open-source**Android** app, translates on-screen text and overlays the translation directly on top of the original in real time, using**Gemini Vision** with an offline backup mode.
- **[Champollion](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w0yuhn/open_machine_translation_development_suite/)** , an open evaluation and development suite for**low-resource languages** , aims to support community projects like**Masakhane** and**AmericasNLP** .
- **[cinemacc-subtitle-skill](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vuk206/ai_kept_making_the_same_mistakes_when_translating/)** , an open-source add-on for AI assistants like**Claude** , builds a glossary of names and terms before translating**subtitles** , to keep them consistent across a file.
- An [open-source](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vtkf9e/i_built_an_opensource_video_translation_dubbing/) **[video dubbing](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vtkf9e/i_built_an_opensource_video_translation_dubbing/)** [pipeline](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vtkf9e/i_built_an_opensource_video_translation_dubbing/) combines**Whisper** transcription, translation, and**VoxCPM2** voice cloning, demoed on an**English-to-Turkish** dub.
- **ConveyThis** open-sources a**[GitHub](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjdizi/open_source_github_for_multilingual_websites/)** [repo for translating multilingual websites](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjdizi/open_source_github_for_multilingual_websites/) and a**[Claude skill](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vz4pm0/i_built_a_claude_skill_for_translating_entire/)** that translates static sites while preserving HTML structure, SEO metadata, hreflang, canonicals, and sitemaps.
- An [AI news app](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wc88a3/i_built_an_ai_news_app_that_translates_live_news/) translates live news from**150+ countries** , summarizes**2,000-word** articles into**3 bullets** , and compares coverage across**60,000 publishers** .

📚 **Research**

- [A comparison between a general-purpose model,](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/) **[Qwen3-8B](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/)**[, and two dedicated translation models,](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/) **[HY-MT1.5-1.8B](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/)** [and](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/) **[TranslateGemma-4B](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/)**[, on a budget GPU](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wiv6m1/comparing_three_translation_models_on_a_budget_gpu/) finds the dedicated models faster, but less reliable at preserving numbers and code.
- The **[Last Translation Benchmark](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w6zxr8/machine_translation_is_not_solved_and_it_may_take/)** paper collects**3,456** hard-to-translate examples that break state-of-the-art models, arguing machine translation is far from solved.
- A [year translating novels with local AI models](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w54jbe/translating_whole_novels_with_local_llms_what_a/) yields lessons on keeping glossaries, splitting the work across two models, and why invented words still break machine translation.
- A developer mixing two languages in the same sentence finds that [hinting](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wdbbv0/why_does_whisper_drop_half_of_any_sentence_when/) **[Whisper](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wdbbv0/why_does_whisper_drop_half_of_any_sentence_when/)**[’s API with three candidate languages](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wdbbv0/why_does_whisper_drop_half_of_any_sentence_when/) , not the two actually spoken, stops it from dropping words.
- **AMTA** publishes[a framework for evaluating translation](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugl6o/amta_publishes_framework_for_evaluating/) **[QE](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugl6o/amta_publishes_framework_for_evaluating/)** [systems](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugl6o/amta_publishes_framework_for_evaluating/) .
- **RWS TrainAI** launches**[M-GATE](https://www.rws.com/artificial-intelligence/train-ai-data-services/research/m-gate/by-model/)** , a benchmark of**70 AI models** across**30 languages** , finding top reasoning models often score worse than a random guess on non-English grammar.
- **DATAmundi** tests**[AIDA](https://slator.com/datamundi-reports-translation-benchmark-results/)** multi-agent frameworks on terminology-constrained translation, evaluating strict**glossary adherence** for enterprise MT.

❔ **Questions**

- Why is **[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1whijwh/why_is_reddits_translation_feature_such_a_mess/)**[’s translation feature](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1whijwh/why_is_reddits_translation_feature_such_a_mess/) such a mess? Can’t they plug in other translation APIs?
- Are **Meta** ’s**[OMT-NLLB](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wgra2a/are_omtnllb_metas_omnilingual_mt_arxiv_260316309/)** (Omnilingual MT) model weights publicly released anywhere?
- How should I [position myself](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w8zf3h/nontech_background_20_years_crosslingual_work_and/) for a job search (**non-tech background** ,**20+ years** of cross-lingual work,**two years** diagnosing**LLM** translation failures)?
- Which **[small local LLMs](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1w8lqvt/best_small_llms_for_translations/)** work best for translation?
- What’s the best AI tool for translating [dense](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugsiy/best_ai_tool_to_translate_dense/) **[philosophy](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugsiy/best_ai_tool_to_translate_dense/)** [and](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugsiy/best_ai_tool_to_translate_dense/) **[psychoanalysis](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugsiy/best_ai_tool_to_translate_dense/)** [books](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vugsiy/best_ai_tool_to_translate_dense/) ?
- How do I translate a [DRM-protected](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vtdjee/aiuto_per_tradurre_un_file_epub/) **[EPUB](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vtdjee/aiuto_per_tradurre_un_file_epub/)** from**English** to**Italian** ?
- Is **[Google Translate](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vsz3tw/how_was_google_translates_voice_recorded/)**[’s voice](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vsz3tw/how_was_google_translates_voice_recorded/) recorded word by word, or broken down into phonetic sounds?
- Is [live translation](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vs1wh7/looking_for_feedback_is_live_translation_during/) **[during meetings](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vs1wh7/looking_for_feedback_is_live_translation_during/)** actually useful? (**OLVA** team asking for feedback)
- Is there a [multilingual](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vrgxfu/i_wish_there_was_a_multilingual_voice/) **[voice transcriber](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vrgxfu/i_wish_there_was_a_multilingual_voice/)** for**WhatsApp** ?
- How do you handle [documents that need](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vz3sn6/how_can_i_handle_documents_that_need_to_be/) **[re-translating](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vz3sn6/how_can_i_handle_documents_that_need_to_be/)** every time they’re updated?
- **DeepL** ’s quality has dropped. Is**[Google Translate](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vy1yjs/deepl_quality_drop_now_google_translate_is_better/)** [better now](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vy1yjs/deepl_quality_drop_now_google_translate_is_better/) ?
- Which **[rule-based](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vus01t/rulebased_machine_translation/)** [machine translation](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vus01t/rulebased_machine_translation/) system supports**Portuguese** to**English** ?

📆 **Events**

- **[Translation AI](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzikq/translation_ai_event_at_tech_week/)** [at](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzikq/translation_ai_event_at_tech_week/) **[Tech Week](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wjzikq/translation_ai_event_at_tech_week/)** — 8 October — San Francisco 🇺🇸
- **[WMT 2026](https://machinetranslate.org/wmt26)** — 28 - 29 October — Budapest 🇭🇺

💻 **Jobs**

- **[Senior Software Engineer](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vx8k4b/senior_software_engineer_localization_on_ai/)**[, Localization on AI Answers](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1vx8k4b/senior_software_engineer_localization_on_ai/) at**Google** — Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷
- **[AI Ops, Localization](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wcg29e/ai_ops_localization_at_workday_pleasanton_ca/)** at**Workday** — Pleasanton 🇺🇸
- **[Localization Product Strategist](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmohy3/localization_product_strategist_at_google_boulder/)** at**Google** — Boulder 🇺🇸
- **[Senior Product Manager](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmokda/senior_product_manager_language_translation/)**[, Language & Translation Platform](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmokda/senior_product_manager_language_translation/) at**Medallia** — McLean 🇺🇸
- **[Applied Scientist II](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmolci/applied_scientist_ii_genaillm_translation/)**[, GenAI/LLM, Translation Services](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmolci/applied_scientist_ii_genaillm_translation/) at**Amazon Science** — Seattle 🇺🇸
- **[Applied Scientist/Research Engineer](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmomds/applied_scientistresearch_engineer_llm_training/)**[, LLM Training Data](https://www.reddit.com/r/machinetranslation/comments/1wmomds/applied_scientistresearch_engineer_llm_training/) at**Propio Language Services** — Overland Park 🇺🇸