Google has launched a New Zealand-accented voice for its Maps navigation tool that correctly pronounces Māori words, ending years of distorted placenames that were often grating or offensive to listeners. The feature is the result of a multi-year collaboration with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori language commission.
Normalising te reo Māori through technology
Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, chief executive of the commission, hailed the launch as a major step in normalising te reo Māori. “When everybody who is learning te reo Māori, or who speaks the language, hears those placenames being used, their language journey is being supported,” he told the Guardian. He added that he “giggled with glee” upon hearing the correct pronunciations, saying, “It just spoke directly to my heart, to hear my language being pronounced properly on an app … this is the future of my language.”
The project began in 2017 when Google and telecommunications company Vodafone (now One NZ) launched a campaign, backed by the commission, asking the public to identify frequently mispronounced Māori names. More than 60,000 corrections were submitted, but technological hurdles delayed implementation until now.
AI advancements enable accurate pronunciation
Caroline Rainsford from Google New Zealand explained that recent advancements in AI text-to-speech models made the project feasible. The model is English-based but draws on data of sounds and names, guided by the commission and publicly available New Zealand Geographic Board data. A voice actor recorded a large script of te reo Māori sounds to train the model. The commission retains guardianship of that data to ensure Māori academics, researchers, and communities can access the lexicon.
Rainsford said technology plays an important role in the use and advancement of te reo Māori, and she was proud that New Zealanders would now hear “a Kiwi voice” during navigation, with “incredible pronunciation of our very sacred placenames in New Zealand.”
Resurgence of te reo Māori amid policy shifts
While the government has pursued policies to limit the use of te reo Māori in the public service, the language has seen a major resurgence over the past decade. According to the 2023 census, Māori is the second most widely spoken language in New Zealand after English, with a 15% increase in speakers between 2018 and 2023. Waiting lists for Māori language classes are extensive, Māori songs often top music charts, and Hollywood studios have released Māori-dubbed versions of films.
The Google Maps launch initially prioritises cities, towns, and certain street names, with plans to expand to more roads and regions. Apanui-Barr described the project as an example of effective collaboration between a public organisation and a private company to “do a really good job.”
Global interest in Indigenous language voice capture
Several other countries have joined a waitlist for voice capture of their Indigenous languages, with similar projects already underway in Australia and the United States. The success of the New Zealand initiative may serve as a model for preserving and normalising Indigenous languages through technology.
