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Google Maps users in New Zealand will soon hear te reo Māori place names pronounced more accurately following the launch of a new AI-powered New Zealand voice developed by Google in partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
The update introduces a Kiwi-accented voice for Google Maps that can pronounce cities and towns with Māori names within English-language navigation, with the feature rolling out to users over the next two weeks.
Google New Zealand country director Caroline Rainsford says advances in artificial intelligence, combined with years of collaboration with Te Taura Whiri, made the update possible.
“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.”
Te Taura Whiri chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr says the technology is an important step towards making te reo Māori a normal part of everyday life.
“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.”
The pronunciation model has been developed using guidance from Te Taura Whiri and publicly available New Zealand Geographic Board data, with an initial focus on cities and towns. Google says it plans to expand the technology to include streets and roads over time and is encouraging users to report pronunciations that need improving.
The project is the latest outcome of a memorandum of understanding signed by Google and Te Taura Whiri in 2023, following the introduction of a localised Chromebook featuring a te reo Māori keyboard.
