Continuously improving the AI conversational translation engine based on HelloTalk user corpora.

Systran International signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with HelloTalk, a leading Chinese foreign language learning and social network service provider with over 8 million members worldwide, to improve translation quality and services as part of the Global Creative Software (GCS) government project under the SW Computing Industry Source Technology Development Project, titled "Development of a foundational translation platform integrating deep learning solutions and crowdsourced human translation."

HelloTalk provides a social networking-based foreign language learning and language exchange application, characterized by the ability for users to receive corrections and guidance on the language they wish to learn from other native speakers. After signing up for free, users can select one language to learn by default, and can select two or more additional languages through separate payment methods.

Systran plans to provide more natural and high-quality translation services by continuously improving and offering an AI conversational translation engine trained on the corpus of HelloTalk users, who are expected to reach over 30 million members by next year. In particular, based on the high demand for the Korean language among HelloTalk users, it is expected that the development and service of a high-quality Korean AI translation engine will be possible.

Through this MOU, Systran and HelloTalk are expected to generate synergy effects, such as improving translation engines using high-quality corpora and providing enhanced translation services. Systran plans to strengthen its competitiveness in the social networking service application translation sector by improving conversational translation quality, while also expanding its full-scale penetration of the Chinese market starting with this MOU. Furthermore, Systran plans to support the technical aspects required for the HelloTalk service, such as real-time translation, image recognition, and grammar correction, based on its translator, dictionary, and natural language processing capabilities for three language pairs: Korean-Chinese, Chinese-Korean, and Chinese-English.

Systran CEO Ji Lucas stated, “We are very pleased to begin a meaningful collaboration with HelloTalk, an innovative language social network application.” He added, “Now that we have been able to develop a more sophisticated conversational AI translation engine based on HelloTalk’s vast and high-quality corpus, we will continue to strive to provide high-quality translation services to global customers, including HelloTalk users.”