Vatican to use AI to translate Mass in 60 languages

The Vatican will offer artificial intelligence (AI)- assisted live translations of Mass in 60 languages, Euronews writes.

The service will allow worshippers to follow services on their smartphones and is set to launch next week during the main celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica, which marks the Fourth Centenary of the church’s dedication, which runs from 1626 to 2026.

“Saint Peter’s Basilica has, for centuries, welcomed the faithful from every nation and tongue,” Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City Vicar General, said in a statement.

“In making available a tool that helps many to understand the words of the liturgy, we wish to serve the mission that defines the centre of the Catholic Church, universal by its very vocation,” he added.

The AI translation will work by QR code that attendees can scan at the entrances to the Vatican. They will then have real-time audio and text translations through their web browsers, without the need to download an app.

Asked whether the AI translation tool can hallucinate or make errors, the company that developed the tool said every translation comes with errors, but the tool “has made a significant step forward in reducing them.”