VLC media player, the popular open-source software developed by nonprofit VideoLAN, has topped 6 billion downloads worldwide and teased an AI-powered subtitle system.
The new feature automatically generates real-time subtitles — which can then be translated into multiple languages — for any video using an open-source AI model that plays locally on users' devices, eliminating the need for an Internet connection or cloud service, demoed at VideoLAN. has been CES.
The company did not say when it planned to rollout the feature.
VideoLAN began in 1996 as a project by students at the Ecole Centrale in Paris trying to stream video across campus. Unlike many open-source projects that have struggled to survive solely on donations, VLC has maintained its free, ad-free model while expanding across multiple operating systems. Media players continue to operate without advertising, data collection, or commercial revenue streams.
“VLC's active user base is actually growing, even in this age of streaming services,” said Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of Videolan. wrote LinkedIn posts.