Bhashini Jugalbandi is an innovative AI chatbot, which supports all G20 languages including German, Spanish, Mandarin, French among others. (Image: PTI/File)
Introduced by National e-Governance Division, ‘Bhashini Jugalbandi’ allows users to ask questions in 10 Indian as well as eight foreign languages, and get real-time replies in text or voice format on messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram
The National e-Governance Division has introduced ‘Bhashini Jugalbandi’ to facilitate multilingual conversations for the upcoming G20 Leaders Summit on September 9 and 10. With delegates visiting New Delhi from across the world for the event, the innovative AI chatbot also supports all G20 languages including German, Spanish, Mandarin and French.
This cutting-edge technology allows users to ask questions in any Indian language and receive real-time responses in text or voice format. The chatbot operates seamlessly on popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, serving as a bridge for communication across diverse languages. To start a conversation, users simply need to send a ‘Hi’ on the messaging platforms, following which they can select their preferred language and proceed to ask questions via text or voice notes.
“For example, if someone asks about the outcomes of G20 Digital Economy ministerial meetings or places to visit in Delhi, the chatbot will respond either in text or through a voice note. For Indian languages, we have integrated the Bhashini API and, for foreign languages, we have used other APIs available,” said an official from National e-Governance Division (NeGD).
In messaging platforms, the chatbot offers 10 Indian languages and eight foreign languages with a ninth option for ‘more foreign languages’. It also shares information about itself in the same chat, saying: “This G20 Jugalbandi bot can also translate between all G20 official languages. To find out more about Jugalbandi, you can type ‘aboutjugalbandi’ in the chat to learn more.”
It also states that it is an open-source AI-powered chatbot capable of processing knowledge from different sources to provide real-time responses to queries. It was collaboratively developed by OpenNyAI and AI4Bharat as a digital public good aimed at addressing a wide range of accessibility challenges across multiple sectors.
The G20 Jugalbandi bot can answer general questions related to the events. It also suggests some questions for the user such as: what is the finance track; what were some of the outcomes of the Urban20 initiative; who will be hosting G20 in 2024 after India; and more.