Google’s Crowdsource App Asks Users to Help Improve Translation, Transcription and Map Quality

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Google has released another app this week following the release of the company’s Google Duo app. The company released a new app called Crowdsource on Google Play that allows users to help the company with image transcription, handwriting recognition, translation, translation validation and map translations.

Users that help the company will not be compensated for their help.

The app is meant to help Google increase the quality of their own services, and third-party services are not listed on the app. Google told TechCrunch that the app is a pilot project.

The app is simple and sleek. Users can download the app from Google Play and will need to choose the languages that the user is fluent in upon loading the app for the first time. The language selection will allow the app to present the user with language translations that match the user’s own ability.

An example of a translation that is shown on the app is a street sign. Users will type in the name of the street based off of what is displayed on the sign. This will allow the company to better increase its accuracy.

Translations will appear with the translation on top and a few true or false translations at the bottom. Users will be able to skip translations if they wish, or they have the ability to submit their answers to Google.

The app is a smart move for Google in its effort to improve the quality of its services. The response to the app is the big question on everyone’s mind. Users have little incentive to use the app more than once or twice out of curiosity. A lack of rewards or credits is likely to make the app irrelevant among users.

Google may choose to add incentives for users in the future which will provide a reason for users to actually use the app besides for goodwill.