- Google Maps voice trained by Maori Language Commission.
- Uses AI-powered text-to-speech technology.
- Rolling out over next 2 weeks, user input welcomed.
Google Maps is rolling out new software for New Zealand that will correctly pronounce Aotearoa place names "the way they should sound".
The new AI-powered text-to-speech (TTS) model speaks English with a Kiwi accent and can correctly pronounce cities and towns with te reo Māori names.
The pronunciation rules used by the voice for Māori place names have been guided by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) and publicly available NZ Geographic Board data. Initially, Te Taura Whiri will be kaitiaki (leader or guide) of the Māori lexicon.
Long term, the plan is to establish a group of interested parties for the kaitiakitanga of the Māori data. The goal is to ensure Māori academics, researchers and communities would have the ability to access this data, share the benefit and contribute to the evolution of this kaupapa.
“I’m incredibly excited for New Zealanders to experience this new local voice in Google Maps," says Caroline Rainsford, country director of Google NZ.
“Two things have been critical to the success of this update: advancements in AI have enabled our Text to Speech model to pronounce te reo Māori place names in an English sentence. And importantly, this would not have been possible without our years-long partnership and deep collaboration with Te Taura Whiri.
"We’re so proud to be able to launch this voice in New Zealand because we know how important it is to pronounce our local place names correctly.”
Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, chief executive of Te Taura Whiri says: “This exciting tool secures a future for te reo Māori in the digital age. We are proud to partner with Google to make NZ’s unique language visible, valued and voiced.
“Like all other languages, Māori placenames carry stories that connect us to our histories, people and achievements. The first step to unlocking those stories is correct pronunciation. If we can hear the words said correctly, we can say the words correctly. This is an important step forward in making te reo Māori a normal, everyday language.”
This is the second project to come out of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two organisations in 2023. A special localised Chromebook that offers a reo Māori keyboard has already been produced.
The update will roll out over the next two weeks for Google Maps users, but the organisation urges patience as the technology may not get every te reo Māori word correct from the start. The partnership has focused on te reo Māori cities and towns, with more street and road updates planned.
“E te iwi, if you come across te reo Māori place names and street names that aren’t being pronounced correctly, we want to hear from you so we can teach the technology the right way to say the word,” Ngahiwi says. People can submit words for review via the Te Taura Whiri website.