VLC to roll out AI-powered subtitles and translations in real-time

VLC unveiled automatic subtitles and translations in real-time for any video played by it [File]
| Photo Credit: AP

Media player VLC at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this year unveiled AI-powered automatic subtitles and translations in real-time for any video played by it, across multiple languages and enabled by AI models that also run offline.

“This technology is using local AI inference to run the subtitles generation and subtitles translation on your own machine, without the need of a cloud service and an online connection; here everything runs offline and all the models are open source, ensuring the longevity of those capabilities,” said VideoLAN in a LinkedIn post.

While automatic subtitles have been introduced across platforms like YouTube and apps such as Instagram, it remains a challenge to provide real-time subtitles for videos being played offline, as well as translations for viewers who may not understand the language of the video being played.

This is the gap VLC is attempting to address with its AI-generated subtitles and translations, which it intends to roll out to users.

“This innovation is designed to make content universally accessible, breaking language barriers and enhancing the viewing experience for everyone. Whether you’re watching a movie, a lecture, or a live stream, VLC ensures you’ll never miss a word,” stated VideoLAN online.