Airbnb Deploys Translation Engine to Let Guests See Reviews in 60 Languages

Airbnb has just announced the expansion of its automatic translation service, Translation Engine, to reviews of rentals and hosts.

First introduced in Airbnb’s 2021 “Winter Release,” Translation Engine provides both hosts and guests with automatic message translations in over 60 languages.

The company signed a deal with Translated in 2021, the largest deal in the history of translation services. Using ModernMT, the proprietary technology of Translated, has significantly improved the quality of communication for listings, according to a 2021 review by Slator.

Airbnb now plans to extend the service to its reviews, allowing users to access reviews without first needing to manually translate the text. And with over 550 million reviews, they hope to make the information more easily accessible for users.

The goal of the technology is to bring hosts and guests closer together, with the goal of making exchanges more accurate and efficient for both parties.