€55,000 Investment: 201 Devices to Be Fully Deployed
The Barcelona City Council announced this week that a technology project aimed at optimizing communication with citizens is being fully rolled out. The city has invested a total of approximately €55,000 to purchase 201 artificial intelligence voice translation devices for frontline services, including the Municipal Police, Social Services departments, and Citizen Service Offices. The plan is to complete the deployment of all devices by the end of this September.
According to information released by the City Council, this technology upgrade project has been in a pilot phase since the beginning of 2024. To date, about 85% of the devices have been distributed, with the Municipal Police department being a pioneer, having started using them this summer, providing valuable experience for the full-scale launch.
Powerful Multilingual Support and Strategic Departmental Allocation
These advanced AI devices are powerful and capable of handling complex multilingual communication needs. They support real-time voice translation in 82 languages, text translation in 96 languages, and can even translate text from images in 112 languages. Additionally, they can assist in generating documents, greatly facilitating information recording and processing.
In terms of device allocation, the City Council has implemented a targeted deployment to maximize effectiveness:
- Social Service Centers: Receiving 130 devices, this department gets the largest share to meet the daily needs of assisting a diverse population.
- Municipal Police: Equipped with 43 devices for handling street-level law enforcement, tourist assistance, and case processing.
- Citizen Service Offices: Allocated 28 devices for daily inquiries and administrative tasks.
Focusing on Practical Applications to Break Down Communication Barriers
These AI translation devices will play a key role in various real-world scenarios. Whether it’s a foreign resident handling municipal procedures, a tourist seeking help on the street, or police assisting a foreign victim of theft or dealing with a traffic violation, the devices will provide instant and accurate translation support.
Through this initiative, the Barcelona City Council hopes to effectively “eliminate communication barriers” (eliminar barreras), ensuring that everyone in Barcelona, regardless of their native language, can receive efficient and equal public services. This further enhances the inclusivity and service level of this international city.
