AI tool Silvia improves Spanglish transcription

A new AI assistant is addressing a common frustration for bilingual speakers by accurately transcribing ‘Spanglish,’ a blend of Spanish and English that often confounds other language processing tools. Developed by Mansidak Singh, a product engineer at reAI, Silvia allows users to fluidly switch between languages in a single sentence without losing any context. Singh was inspired to create the app after a conversation highlighted the limitations of existing language assistants, which typically ignore or misinterpret mixed-language input.

Silvia integrates with your keyboard and supports both Spanish and English, with plans to expand to other languages such as French, German, and Dutch soon. Singh utilised iOS 18’s new Translation API and OpenAI’s Whisper technology to create a solution that is not only effective but also fast and secure, with no data storage involved. The app is designed to be used seamlessly in everyday conversations, making it easier for bilingual users to communicate without constantly switching settings or keyboards.

While the current version of Silvia is limited to languages that use the Roman alphabet, Singh’s approach reflects a practical and thoughtful application of AI to solve real-world problems. The app, which has been approved by Apple, will be available for download at the end of the month, offering a more accurate and user-friendly experience for those who speak in a mix of languages.

In an era where AI is often associated with grand promises, Silvia stands out for its simplicity and focus on improving everyday communication. As multilingual AI tools like Silvia and Nigeria’s new multilingual large language model continue to emerge, the future of AI in language processing looks increasingly inclusive and adaptable to the needs of diverse users.