Google Meet adds an AI Babel Fish for a real-time translation – for now, only in English and Spanish

This year's Google I/O conference stays true to last year's – which means lots and lots of AI goodies are announced (instead of Pixel-related hardware announcements).

For example, Google Meet – the popular platform we use to video chat with one another (mostly at work) – is getting really smart… to the point where one could say it has a Babel Fish up its ear. As "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (by Douglas Adams) fans know, the Babel Fish is a small, yellow fish that, when placed in one's ear, instantly translates any spoken language into the wearer's native tongue.

For now, though, Google Meet's new feature – real-time speech translation in video calls – supports just English and Spanish. Given that almost two billion people speak English or Spanish (to a degree), that's not a bad start. More languages are coming later, Google promises.



The search engine giant boosts Google Meet with the aim to break down language barriers during conversations. Initially available to Google AI Pro and Ultra plan subscribers, the tool translates spoken English and Spanish in near real time – maintaining the speaker's original voice and tone for a more natural and expressive experience. Whether it's family members bridging language gaps or professionals collaborating globally, the feature aims to make cross-language communication feel seamless, the company states.

Launching in beta, the tool will support additional languages soon, and Google plans to expand testing for business users through Workspace later this year.

What is Google AI Ultra plan?

Google has launched Google AI Ultra, a premium subscription plan offering top-tier access to its most advanced AI tools and features. Priced at $249.99/month in the US (with a 50% discount for the first three months for new users), Ultra is aimed at creators, developers, and professionals who need high-performance AI.

The plan includes the most powerful Gemini models, enhanced reasoning via Deep Think, cutting-edge video generation with Veo, and expanded tools like Flow for filmmaking, Whisk for animation, and NotebookLM for research.

Subscribers also get AI support in Gmail, Docs, and Chrome, along with 30TB of storage and YouTube Premium access.