https://arab.news/6rn35
- The new feature allows readers to translate the newspaper into dozens of languages
LONDON: On Wednesday, Arab News unveiled its latest initiative, making its publication available in 50 languages.
The announcement, made on the sidelines of the FIPP World Media Congress in Madrid, is part of a broader technological push by the newsroom that began with the newspaper’s digital transformation and rebranding in 2018.
Powered by CAMB.AI’s technology, the artificial intelligence feature, still in its beta version, allows readers to translate Arab News articles into several languages, including Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Malay, and Russian, with the potential to reach more than 6 billion people, or about 80 percent of the global population.
Beyond its apparent simplicity, the new feature, the first of its kind in media, offers new opportunities beyond journalism, enhancing Arab News’ role as a major international media outlet and a pioneer in bridging cultures through journalism and innovation.
So, how does it actually work?
Relying on CAMB.AI’s MARS and BOLI models, advanced text-to-audio and neural machine translation systems, respectively, the platform uses adaptive machine learning to deliver fast and contextually accurate translations, with 95 percent accuracy.
Users can access the feature by clicking on the green circle icon labeled “EN” at the bottom left of the website.
After signing in or registering with an email address, readers can select up to five languages for translation. Preferences are saved but can be changed at any time.
To translate, users click the same icon and choose their desired language — the page updates instantly.
Users can track their article count through this button, as each user can translate up to 25 articles per month.
The Madrid event also featured a screening of “Rewriting Arab News,” a documentary chronicling the newspaper’s five-decade journey, from its founding in 1975 by the Hafez brothers in Jeddah to its ongoing digital transformation under its parent company, the Saudi Research and Media Group.
“Thanks to modern technology, Arab News, which launched in 1975 as a voice for in English, will now be the voice of a changing region in 50 languages,” said Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.
“This year we’re turning 50. And we were adamant that our celebration will not be a farewell party but rather a rebirth,” Abbas said. “We’re proud to be embracing technology, not resisting it.”