The best explanation is not always in your language
The clearest lecture on a topic might be in English. The only interview with a particular researcher might be in German. The official documentation might exist only in Japanese.
SumAI removes the language of the source from the equation. It reads the transcript or text in whatever language it is in, and writes the summary in the language you choose.
How it works
Two things are set separately:
- The source language is whatever the video, article or PDF happens to be in.
- The summary language is your choice, from more than 60 languages.
For a video, the one requirement is the usual one: it needs captions or auto-generated subtitles, in any language, because the summary is made from the transcript. According to YouTube Help, YouTube generates automatic captions in dozens of languages, though not for every video.
Who this helps
Students studying abroad or in a second language. Read the summary in your first language to make sure you have understood, then return to the original for the vocabulary.
Professionals following a global field. Keep up with talks, earnings calls and product announcements from other markets without waiting for a translation.
Language learners. Use the summary as a safety net. Watch a video in the language you are learning, then read the summary in your own language to check what you missed. More on this on the page for language learners.
Multilingual families and teams. Share one video with people who read different languages: the same source, a summary each.
Summary first, then the original
A translated summary is the fast way to find out what a source says. It is not a substitute for the original when precise wording matters.
For quotations, technical terms, legal or medical language, check the original passage. The key moments and transcript take you to the right place, even when the source is in a language you read slowly.
Prefer to listen?
Any summary can be read aloud. Combined with the language choice, that means you can take a lecture in one language and listen to its key points in another. See Listen to summaries.
Last updated November 12, 2026.