Putting sign language AI into users’ hands
Google says its SL2T model now powers ASL-to-English signing input in Gboard and Live Transcribe on Pixel 11.
The model translates pose landmarks rather than raw video, with MediaPipe tracking body points on-device before coordinates are sent for translation. Google says it trained SL2T on more than 100,000 hours across 50-plus sign languages, with ASL making up about a quarter of the data. The first consumer rollout supports ASL to English, with more devices and languages planned. The company notes remaining errors around rare signs, rapid fingerspelling, passive constructions, classifier depictions, and tense without context. Google DeepMind's note
The model translates pose landmarks rather than raw video, with MediaPipe tracking body points on-device before coordinates are sent for translation. Google says it trained SL2T on more than 100,000 hours across 50-plus sign languages, with ASL making up about a quarter of the data. The first consumer rollout supports ASL to English, with more devices and languages planned. The company notes remaining errors around rare signs, rapid fingerspelling, passive constructions, classifier depictions, and tense without context. Google DeepMind's note
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