The demo at CES appears to have been a proof of concept to showcase the capabilities of this feature, as there’s no official word yet on when it will be available. But if AI-powered translation of video content becomes a reality, it could be a game-changer. Imagine being able to watch those foreign films you always wanted to watch but couldn’t because there was no one to translate them (I know my list is very long). In fact, with VLC demonstrating how real-time subtitles and subtitles can be achieved, it’s clear that we’re headed toward a future where language barriers won’t stand in the way of communication or entertainment. And hey, we already have great examples like Samsung’s Live Translate service on Galaxy phones, which is a solid step towards breaking down those language walls.

Along with the real-time translation feature, VLC also dropped some impressive numbers. The media player has now reached 6 billion downloads, an achievement that is difficult to ignore. In 2019, the number was 3 billion, which means that even as the streaming era reaches its peak, VLC is still growing strong.

Now, the exact way those downloads are calculated is a bit unclear. I’d be surprised if unique downloads were counted because if so, that means almost everyone on the planet has the app or at least had at some point.

It probably counts the number of times the executable has been downloaded, and if so, it certainly contributed at least 20 of those six billion (I tend to re-download it a lot). But regardless of the details, it’s still an impressive achievement, and VLC shows that it is moving forward into the age of artificial intelligence and has no intention of slowing down.