Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra First Look: Circle to Search, Live Translate, More AI - CNET - Translation

When I recently called a Korean restaurant to make a reservation, I had no issue communicating with the person on the other end even though she wasn't speaking English. That's because I was trying out the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of three new phones Samsung announced on Wednesday, which can translate phone calls in real-time.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products.

Samsung, like the rest of the tech industry, is enthralled with artificial intelligence at the moment. The Galaxy S24 series is rife with features like the translation example mentioned above that leverage generative AI -- AI that uses large language models to create content or provide conversational (but not always accurate) answers. It's another sign that tech giants are increasingly using AI to distinguish their devices from the pack and get consumers excited about upgrading their mobile devices in what has been a struggling smartphone market.

Read more: Everything Samsung Announced at Its 2024 Unpacked Event

The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale for $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199) -- $100 pricier than last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra -- on Jan. 31 alongside the cheaper Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. All three are available for preorder now.

With the Galaxy S24 series, you'll be able to have the Notes app format or summarize notes for you, circle any image to launch a Google search for that item and rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them. Samsung groups all these tools (among others) together under the blanket moniker known as Galaxy AI, and it's available on the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus and S24 Ultra. These features will also come to the Galaxy S23 lineup through an update.

Some of those functions may sound familiar; they're very similar to other generative AI-powered tools we've seen from companies like Google and Microsoft. In fact, Samsung is partnering with Google on the technology behind some of its new AI features, including the ones for rewriting texts, summarizing notes and moving individual objects in photos. 

Watch this: Samsung Reveals Its New S24 Series Phones and Their AI Chops

06:47

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also gets a sharper new telephoto camera and a titanium build. All three phones also have Qualcomm's latest processor and brighter screens.

I briefly got to check out the Galaxy S24 series ahead of Samsung's announcement, and here are my early impressions of the Ultra.

Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung's new Chat Assist feature can translate messages and rewrite messages in a different tone before sending them. 

John Kim/CNET

Galaxy AI is the biggest difference between the S24 series and its predecessors, although that won't be the case for long considering these features are coming to the Galaxy S23 lineup. Some of Samsung's Galaxy AI features include:

• Chat Assist for changing the tone, translating or spell-checking your text message before sending it.
• Live Translate for translating calls in 13 languages during a conversation.
• Circle to Search, which lets you launch a Google search for any object in a photo just by circling it.
• Note Assist for summarizing, translating and formatting files in Samsung's Notes app and generating digital covers for notes.
• Generative Edit, which like Google's Magic Editor lets you manipulate and move objects in photos.
• Transcript Assist in Samsung's recording app for providing transcriptions and summarizing conversations.

I tried most of these features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and they worked easily enough, although I've only tested them in Samsung's controlled demo. Live Translate took a little getting used to, but I was impressed by how easy it was to carry on a conversation with a Korean language speaker once I got the hang of it.

After tapping the number I wanted to call in the S24 Ultra's contact list, I chose the Live Translate option to start the translation. Samsung translated my words into Korean almost instantly after I finished speaking. Once the recipient on the other end had finished her response, Samsung repeated her speech in English. I could see this being helpful while traveling, although I could also imagine it causing some initial confusion for callers and recipients who are unfamiliar with the feature.

Read more: Best Samsung Phones of 2024

Circle to Search is another standout Galaxy AI tool that I can imagine being useful. It's kind of like Google Lens, except you can search for objects in existing photos just by circling them rather than snapping a new photo. Just open the picture, hold the home button, and circle the object you'd like to search for. I circled waffles in a brunch photo in the S24 Ultra's photo gallery, and Google pulled up recommendations for restaurants that serve waffles nearby.

I also snapped a picture of someone's shoes in the demo area and circled them, and Google quickly summoned options to purchase those same shoes. This is a bit easier with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's S Pen, but you can also use Circle to Search on the regular S24 and S24 Plus with your finger.

The new Circle to Search feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

John Kim/CNET

Samsung's Notes app can organize text into bullet points and even offers different templates to choose from. Generative Edit, which is a lot like Google's Magic Eraser, makes it possible to move, erase and manipulate individual objects in photos.

During a demo, a Samsung representative traced the area around a skateboarder performing a trick in a photo and moved the skater to make their jump look even higher. Samsung and Google are pitching features like these as being useful for creative purposes by giving anyone the ability to significantly alter photos straight from their phone with no photo editing knowledge. Still, it's hard to ignore the potential for misuse, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram has previously pointed out.

One photography feature I'm excited about in particular is the ability to remove reflections in the edit suggestions section. As someone who photographs screens quite often, I can attest to how difficult it can be to avoid glare and reflections. I could also see this being useful for avid travelers who snap photos through car, bus or train windows on vacation.

Read more: From AI to Mixed Reality, CES 2024 Products Imagine A World Beyond Mobile Apps

Samsung is clearly focusing on productivity first and foremost with the Galaxy S24's AI features, although many of these tools feel familiar rather than new. Galaxy AI has the potential to make accomplishing certain tasks on the S24 family feel more convenient, but it also doesn't bring anything overwhelmingly new to the table. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've spent more time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Galaxy S24 Ultra specs and design

The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in four colors, or more if you order from Samsung directly.

John Kim/CNET

The biggest physical change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to its predecessor is its 50-megapixel telephoto camera, which replaces one of the 10-megapixel zoom cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means the S24 Ultra offers a 5x optical zoom compared to the S23 Ultra's 10x optical zoom, a decision that Samsung made after it found that many users preferred zooming at 5x rather than 10x. This should hopefully enable crisper zoomed shots, but I'll be able to tell for sure when I've had more time with the device.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera hardware is essentially the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra's, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly slimmer bezels, and a lighter design, although the differences here seem very minimal. Samsung also says it's boosted the screen brightness to 2,600 nits on all three models compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's screens were already plenty bright, especially when compared to Google's Pixel phones, so I'm sure they'll be even easier to see in sunlight. Still, they aren't the brightest screen found on a phone in 2024. The OnePlus 12, which launches later this month in the US, will have a 4,500-nit display. 

The back of the Galaxy S24 Ultra

John Kim/CNET

All three phones run on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which isn't a surprise considering Samsung typically puts Qualcomm's latest chip in its flagship US phones. Qualcomm announced the chip in October 2023 and flaunted its ability to run generative AI algorithms on the device. The S24 Ultra also has a larger vapor chamber compared to last year's phone, which Samsung says should keep the device cool while playing demanding games. 

Battery size, storage and memory and storage are essentially the same as those in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 family shows that Samsung, along with other tech giants, is learning about how generative AI can be useful on our phones following ChatGPT's rapid rise. Galaxy AI seems like a promising start, although Samsung may have to do more to make its offerings stand out, especially as Apple is rumored to bring more generative AI-fueled features to the iPhone later this year.
Read more: How to pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S24	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.8-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.7-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.2-inch AMOLED; FHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088x1,440 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	TBD	TBD	TBD	500 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in	6.24 x 3 x 0.3 in	5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 in	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	163 x 79 x 8.6 mm	158 x 76 x 7.6 mm	147 x 71 x 7.6 mm	163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	233 g (8.22 oz)	197 g (6.95 oz)	168 g (5.93oz)	234 g (8.25 oz)
Mobile software	Android 14	Android 14	Android 14	Android 13
Camera	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 10-megapixel (10x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	TBD	TBD	TBD	8K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Storage and RAM	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB	8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB	8GB RAM + 256GB; 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,900 mAh	4,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; 100x Space Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging
US price starts at	$1,300 (256GB)	$1,00 (256GB)	$800 (128GB)	$1,200 (256GB)
UK price starts at	£1,249 (256GB)	£999 (256GB)	£799 (128GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price starts at	AU$2,199 (256GB)	AU$1,699 (256GB)	AU$1,399 (256GB)	AU$1,949 (256GB)

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Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra First Look: Circle to Search, Live Translate, More AI - CNET - Translation

When I recently called a Korean restaurant to make a reservation, I had no issue communicating with the person on the other end even though she wasn't speaking English. That's because I was trying out the Galaxy S24 Ultra, one of three new phones Samsung announced on Wednesday, which can translate phone calls in real-time.

This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET's collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung's most popular products.

Samsung, like the rest of the tech industry, is enthralled with artificial intelligence at the moment. The Galaxy S24 series is rife with features like the translation example mentioned above that leverage generative AI -- AI that uses large language models to create content or provide conversational (but not always accurate) answers. It's another sign that tech giants are increasingly using AI to distinguish their devices from the pack and get consumers excited about upgrading their mobile devices in what has been a struggling smartphone market.

Read more: Everything Samsung Announced at Its 2024 Unpacked Event

The Galaxy S24 Ultra goes on sale for $1,300 (£1,249, AU$2,199) -- $100 pricier than last year's Galaxy S23 Ultra -- on Jan. 31 alongside the cheaper Galaxy S24 Plus and Galaxy S24. All three are available for preorder now.

With the Galaxy S24 series, you'll be able to have the Notes app format or summarize notes for you, circle any image to launch a Google search for that item and rewrite your text messages in a different tone before sending them. Samsung groups all these tools (among others) together under the blanket moniker known as Galaxy AI, and it's available on the Galaxy S24, S4 Plus and S24 Ultra. These features will also come to the Galaxy S23 lineup through an update.

Some of those functions may sound familiar; they're very similar to other generative AI-powered tools we've seen from companies like Google and Microsoft. In fact, Samsung is partnering with Google on the technology behind some of its new AI features, including the ones for rewriting texts, summarizing notes and moving individual objects in photos. 

Watch this: Samsung Reveals Its New S24 Series Phones and Their AI Chops

06:47

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also gets a sharper new telephoto camera and a titanium build. All three phones also have Qualcomm's latest processor and brighter screens.

I briefly got to check out the Galaxy S24 series ahead of Samsung's announcement, and here are my early impressions of the Ultra.

Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 Ultra

Samsung's new Chat Assist feature can translate messages and rewrite messages in a different tone before sending them. 

John Kim/CNET

Galaxy AI is the biggest difference between the S24 series and its predecessors, although that won't be the case for long considering these features are coming to the Galaxy S23 lineup. Some of Samsung's Galaxy AI features include:

• Chat Assist for changing the tone, translating or spell-checking your text message before sending it.
• Live Translate for translating calls in 13 languages during a conversation.
• Circle to Search, which lets you launch a Google search for any object in a photo just by circling it.
• Note Assist for summarizing, translating and formatting files in Samsung's Notes app and generating digital covers for notes.
• Generative Edit, which like Google's Magic Editor lets you manipulate and move objects in photos.
• Transcript Assist in Samsung's recording app for providing transcriptions and summarizing conversations.

I tried most of these features on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and they worked easily enough, although I've only tested them in Samsung's controlled demo. Live Translate took a little getting used to, but I was impressed by how easy it was to carry on a conversation with a Korean language speaker once I got the hang of it.

After tapping the number I wanted to call in the S24 Ultra's contact list, I chose the Live Translate option to start the translation. Samsung translated my words into Korean almost instantly after I finished speaking. Once the recipient on the other end had finished her response, Samsung repeated her speech in English. I could see this being helpful while traveling, although I could also imagine it causing some initial confusion for callers and recipients who are unfamiliar with the feature.

Read more: Best Samsung Phones of 2024

Circle to Search is another standout Galaxy AI tool that I can imagine being useful. It's kind of like Google Lens, except you can search for objects in existing photos just by circling them rather than snapping a new photo. Just open the picture, hold the home button, and circle the object you'd like to search for. I circled waffles in a brunch photo in the S24 Ultra's photo gallery, and Google pulled up recommendations for restaurants that serve waffles nearby.

I also snapped a picture of someone's shoes in the demo area and circled them, and Google quickly summoned options to purchase those same shoes. This is a bit easier with the Galaxy S24 Ultra's S Pen, but you can also use Circle to Search on the regular S24 and S24 Plus with your finger.

The new Circle to Search feature being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

John Kim/CNET

Samsung's Notes app can organize text into bullet points and even offers different templates to choose from. Generative Edit, which is a lot like Google's Magic Eraser, makes it possible to move, erase and manipulate individual objects in photos.

During a demo, a Samsung representative traced the area around a skateboarder performing a trick in a photo and moved the skater to make their jump look even higher. Samsung and Google are pitching features like these as being useful for creative purposes by giving anyone the ability to significantly alter photos straight from their phone with no photo editing knowledge. Still, it's hard to ignore the potential for misuse, as my colleague Sareena Dayaram has previously pointed out.

One photography feature I'm excited about in particular is the ability to remove reflections in the edit suggestions section. As someone who photographs screens quite often, I can attest to how difficult it can be to avoid glare and reflections. I could also see this being useful for avid travelers who snap photos through car, bus or train windows on vacation.

Read more: From AI to Mixed Reality, CES 2024 Products Imagine A World Beyond Mobile Apps

Samsung is clearly focusing on productivity first and foremost with the Galaxy S24's AI features, although many of these tools feel familiar rather than new. Galaxy AI has the potential to make accomplishing certain tasks on the S24 family feel more convenient, but it also doesn't bring anything overwhelmingly new to the table. Maybe I'll feel differently after I've spent more time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

Galaxy S24 Ultra specs and design

The Galaxy S24 Ultra comes in four colors, or more if you order from Samsung directly.

John Kim/CNET

The biggest physical change on the Galaxy S24 Ultra compared to its predecessor is its 50-megapixel telephoto camera, which replaces one of the 10-megapixel zoom cameras on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. That means the S24 Ultra offers a 5x optical zoom compared to the S23 Ultra's 10x optical zoom, a decision that Samsung made after it found that many users preferred zooming at 5x rather than 10x. This should hopefully enable crisper zoomed shots, but I'll be able to tell for sure when I've had more time with the device.

Otherwise, the Galaxy S24 Ultra's camera hardware is essentially the same as the Galaxy S23 Ultra's, consisting of a 200-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom (in addition to the new 50-megapixel, 5x telephoto camera) and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra also has a titanium body, slightly slimmer bezels, and a lighter design, although the differences here seem very minimal. Samsung also says it's boosted the screen brightness to 2,600 nits on all three models compared to 1,750 nits on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Samsung's screens were already plenty bright, especially when compared to Google's Pixel phones, so I'm sure they'll be even easier to see in sunlight. Still, they aren't the brightest screen found on a phone in 2024. The OnePlus 12, which launches later this month in the US, will have a 4,500-nit display. 

The back of the Galaxy S24 Ultra

John Kim/CNET

All three phones run on Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which isn't a surprise considering Samsung typically puts Qualcomm's latest chip in its flagship US phones. Qualcomm announced the chip in October 2023 and flaunted its ability to run generative AI algorithms on the device. The S24 Ultra also has a larger vapor chamber compared to last year's phone, which Samsung says should keep the device cool while playing demanding games. 

Battery size, storage and memory and storage are essentially the same as those in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The Galaxy S24 family shows that Samsung, along with other tech giants, is learning about how generative AI can be useful on our phones following ChatGPT's rapid rise. Galaxy AI seems like a promising start, although Samsung may have to do more to make its offerings stand out, especially as Apple is rumored to bring more generative AI-fueled features to the iPhone later this year.
Read more: How to pre-order the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Editors' note: CNET is using an AI engine to help create some stories. For more, see this post.

Samsung Galaxy S24 series specs vs. Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

	Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra	Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus	Samsung Galaxy S24	Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.8-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.7-inch AMOLED; QHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.2-inch AMOLED; FHD+ resolution; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,088x1,440 pixels; 120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	TBD	TBD	TBD	500 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in	6.24 x 3 x 0.3 in	5.79 x 2.78 x 0.3 in	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.35 in
Dimensions (millimeters)	163 x 79 x 8.6 mm	158 x 76 x 7.6 mm	147 x 71 x 7.6 mm	163.3 x 78 x 8.9 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	233 g (8.22 oz)	197 g (6.95 oz)	168 g (5.93oz)	234 g (8.25 oz)
Mobile software	Android 14	Android 14	Android 14	Android 13
Camera	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 10-megapixel (10x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	TBD	TBD	TBD	8K
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Storage and RAM	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB	8GB RAM + 128GB, 256GB	8GB RAM + 256GB; 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	5,000 mAh	4,900 mAh	4,000 mAh	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Under display	Under display	Under display	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	2,600-nit screen; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; 25W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 6E	5G (Sub6, mmWave); IP68 water resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; 100x Space Zoom; 10x optical zoom; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging
US price starts at	$1,300 (256GB)	$1,00 (256GB)	$800 (128GB)	$1,200 (256GB)
UK price starts at	£1,249 (256GB)	£999 (256GB)	£799 (128GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price starts at	AU$2,199 (256GB)	AU$1,699 (256GB)	AU$1,399 (256GB)	AU$1,949 (256GB)

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Galaxy S24 first look: Translation is a letdown, but Circle to Search is handy - The Korea JoongAng Daily - Translation

A user experiences Galaxy S24 Ultra's "Circle to Search" AI feature co-developed with Google at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo District in western Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Look for the stars when summoning AI on your Galaxy S24.
 
A bundle of little stars — sometimes three, sometimes four — will appear on the phone's screen whenever Galaxy AI is ready to intervene, for example, to offer translation or photo editing tools. When the algorithm is processing, these little stars appear again to replace the familiar spinning wheel.
 

Related Article

Samsung Electronics showcased the Galaxy S24 series in Seoul on Thursday and detailed some of its key features, mostly AI-infused, to the Korean press. 
 
The much-anticipated “Live Translation” function for calls wasn't quite “live,” however.
 
Instead of simultaneous translation, the feature resembled more of a consecutive translation. Both the speaker and the listener have to wait for the counterpart to finish talking to then listen to the AI's translation, hindering a natural flow of the conversation.   
 
Galaxy AI — referring to the package of AI-related experiences available on the Galaxy line — will soon be available on the S23, Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 as well.
 
Here's what Korea JoongAng Daily found out at the Galaxy S24 demonstration. 
 
 

 

━
 

Not totally “live”

 

 
Live Translation, currently available for 13 languages, was touted as one of the Galaxy S24's key AI features. 
 
While a user is making a call on the device's native “Call” app, a bundle of three little stars appears on the screen next to “Call Assist” phrase. Touching the phrase pulls up the Live Translation tool and prompts a user to select their target languages.

Touching on the "Call Assist" button with three stars next to it will lead to Live Translation feature. [JIN EUN-SOO]

 
After Galaxy notifies the user's conversation partner that the call is being translated and live captioned, the conversation begins and translation ensues. The tiki-taka type of quick-paced conversation is not possible with the feature enabled; participants must wait before they can respond to each other. Such a tool could come in handy when making restaurant reservations while traveling, but it would not suit business calls or chats with foreign friends.
 
What was deemed a real breakthrough, however, was the built-in three-star icon on the Samsung keyboard that offered text-based translations. An additional input bar on top of the keyboard is reserved for texts that need to be translated. 
 
Because the feature is built into the Samsung keyboard, the text translation service is largely available for most third-party apps and for writing emails.
 

 

━
 

Tone adjustment: limited to five versions 

 

A user experiences an AI-powered text translation feature on Galaxy S24 in Seocho District in southern Seoul on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Samsung said its Galaxy AI will adjust the tone of text messages, which this reporter thought would be applicable for any type of situation. But the demonstration revealed that tone-adjustment feature is available for only five preset versions: professional, comfortable, social media, polite and emoji-added. 
 
What does seem handy is the “Circle to Search” feature Samsung developed in collaboration with Google.
 
Circling the object of curiosity in photos or videos will give the user a list of relevant search results on the same window. There is no need to type in multiple vague adjectives to find your way to the product you saw in a YouTube video.
 
It's a convenient prospect, not only because it instantly initiates a search but also because it understands the context. After asking for the name of the apartment building shown in a certain photo, the user can follow up with “How much is it?” or “Why is this apartment so expensive?”
 

A user experiences an AI-powered photo editing tool on Galaxy S24 series in San Jose, California on Tuesday, local time. [YONHAP]

 

━
 

Upgraded photo editing

 

AI comes in full force when editing photos and videos. Samsung is touting features that can remove objects from pictures or fill in cropped backgrounds.

 
“Before, the fill-in feature was based on shades and shapes of the removed object's surroundings. But now, the Galaxy S24 is able to create space and objects that have never been there based on its training on a countless number of photos,” Hwang Jeong-ho from Samsung's MX (mobile eXperience) team explained during the demonstration. 
 
The AI function also supports slow motion viewing of videos not originally shot in slow motion. 
 
“The generative AI engine will make images in between the video frames,” Hwang said. “Long-pressing the video will let it play at one-fourth of its speed. It is available not only for videos filmed with Galaxy, but also any type of downloaded videos as well.”

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]

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Samsung unveils AI-powered Galaxy S24 phones with Live translate feature - Hindustan Times - Translation

ByHT News Desk

Jan 18, 2024 12:06 AM IST

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024: The lineup comprises three variants, i.e Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24.

Samsung on Wednesday unveiled the Galaxy AI-powered latest lineup of smartphones, the Galaxy S24 series at its Unpacked event. The lineup comprises three variants, i.e Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+ and Galaxy S24.

The new S24 series is packed with latest AI functions, a move intended to attract more buyers, especially after Samsung has been overtaken by rival Apple as the largest smartphone seller in the world.

The new S24 smartphones will be equipped with a two-way voice translation in real time of a live phone call conducted in two different languages. This feature is available in 13 different languages, and the on-device AI function is offered via Samsung's own generative AI training.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2024 LIVE coverage

A Samsung smartphone Galaxy S24 is displayed during its unveiling ceremony in Seoul, South Korea.(Reuters)

“The Galaxy S24 series transforms our connection with the world and ignites the next decade of mobile innovation, Galaxy AI is built on our innovation heritage and deep understanding of how people use their phones. We’re excited to see how our users around the world empower their everyday lives with Galaxy AI to open up new possibilities," TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a statement.

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The Samsung Galaxy S24 series also offers a Google-powered ‘circle to search’ function. The user, by circling any part of an image on screen can, search it in Google.

The other features include AI translation and changing the tone of messages to casual, formal, business or social media.

There are also AI summaries and translation of voice recordings, "generative editing" of photos that fill in non-existent backgrounds, and a feature that turns real-time videos into slow-motion by filling in non-existent frames with AI.

On-device AI refers to generative AI functions that are downloaded to each user's device after being trained, which do not need to connect to the cloud.

Companies like Qualcomm and Samsung are touting on-device AI as more secure for personal information, as it does not need to send data to the cloud for use.

(With Reuters inputs)

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Pulling dictionaries from schools in "citadel of normalcy" Florida - Palm Beach Post - Dictionary

Florida’s book-banning frenzy in public schools has finally reached the dictionary level.

Thank God. 

A new state law that allows parents in Florida to restrict the reading material of other people’s children in public schools has caused thousands of titles to be pulled from school library shelves. 

All it takes is one parental complaint about a book that depicts or describes “sexual conduct” and the school has five days to remove it from the library shelves for a lengthy, open-ended review.

In Escambia County, where some 1,600 titles have been pulled, the banned list has included not only award-winning literary novels and biographies but also encyclopedias and dictionaries. 

I know. At first blush, it might sound crazy to ban dictionaries in schools. 

Especially during the time when so many young people spell the word “you” just with the letter U, and a leading candidate for president writes about a “smocking gun.”

But it makes sense to ban dictionaries. After all, dictionaries are full of smut. 

It’s just that the offending sexual content in dictionaries requires a little bit of imagination. OK, maybe a lot of imagination. 

But the filth is all there in the form of unconnected words that are hidden alphabetically. Yes, it’s diabolical.

Nice try, Webster. But we see what you’re up to, and we won’t stand idly by as dictionaries stealthily indoctrinate our children. 

It’s undeniable. Dictionaries are the source material for every sexually inappropriate book imaginable. 

You just have to puzzle out the words and figure out which order to put them in. 

Take for example, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, or A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, which are among the titles removed from school library shelves under the new state law.

All the words in those books are in the dictionary. So why not bypass the middleman and go right to the source by banning the dictionaries?

Look at this way: Dictionaries are the “Where’s Waldo?” of pornography. We see you, well hidden sexual content, and we're not going to tolerate it.

And not only that, but dictionaries contain words that on their face are not considered obscene, but are certainly inappropriate when exposed to fertile teenage minds. 

I’m talking about words such as fiduciary, pusillanimous, and syllogism. 

You’re telling me they’re not dirty words? We can’t take that chance with our young people. 

Even the word “dictionary” is problematic.

So, some Florida schools are taking the prudent safeguard by banning the dictionary. 

I think Gov. Ron DeSantis said it best when he talked about the sweeping need for this book-banning initiative.

“Florida is proud to lead the way in standing up for our children,” he said when signing the bill. “As the world goes mad, Florida represents a refuge of sanity and a citadel of normalcy.” 

Yes, so no more dictionaries. Here in the free state of Florida, we don’t need a book reminding us that there’s no “e” in the middle of the word “judgment.”

Also, as a side benefit of banning dictionaries, it will allow underage students in Florida more time to read the BIble. 

More:Cerabino: Moms for Liberty get a taste of their own medicine with request to ban Bible in PBC schools

More:Holy hell! Florida Surgeon General goes "Antichrist" on COVID vaccines

But probably not the parts of the Bible about incest, rape, and all that “begetting” that’s described. 

And we’ll have to review the 355 times in the Bible the word “seed” pops up – most of which have nothing to do with the planting of crops.

Hmm. Come to think of it, to be safe, we ought to pull the Bible too.

Why read, anyway? Quit trying to be a “coastal elite.” 

Celebrate the empty book shelves. You’re living in Florida, the book-banning citadel of normalcy that flags dictionaries.

Frank Cerabino is a news columnist with The Palm Beach Post, part of the Gannett Newspapers chain.

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AI replaces ‘woke’ TV translators in Japanese art, sparking online debate - New York Post - Translation

Western television and anime localizers have recently come under fire for injecting “woke” language into English dubs not present in the original work, prompting some companies to implement artificial intelligence (AI) as a way of limiting human intervention or to remove them entirely.

The use of AI in the industry is already well underway.

On December 21, the official X account for “The Ancient Magus’ Bride” manga announced it would soon return with a simultaneous internal release in English using AI translation created by the Japanese company Mantra.

In addition, Funimation, an American subscription video-on-demand service for anime, recently merged with the Sony Group Corporation-owned streaming service Crunchyroll.

The company has indicated it will use a “hybrid” AI localization system with humans reviewing and editing the results.

Fans are split on these decisions.

While some argue AI translations lack the authenticity that human translators bring to the table, others have said the move will stop localizers from placing political biases and modern social issues into translations, thus deviating from the original artists’ intent.

Artificial Intelligence translators will be used for English translations. phonlamaiphoto – stock.adobe.com

Max Maybury, a tech enthusiast and co-owner of Ai-Product Reviews, told Fox News Digital that AI in Anime localization promises to make translation processes more efficient and accurate but has caused controversy among creators.

He noted that many critics of human translators have focused on the alleged insertion of progressive viewpoints into these translations when converting from Japanese to English dubs.

“The fear is that AI, driven by certain ideological biases, will tamper with the intent of the original Japanese texts, resulting in a loss of originality and cultural integrity,” he said.

Recently, Katrina Leonoudakis, a professional translator and localization expert who previously worked for SEGA and Funimation, called the adoption of AI in localization “embarrassing” and “disappointing.”

Japanese manga artist Makoto Kobayashi works on his judo manga series on a computer screen in Tokyo. AFP via Getty Images

“Instead of paying a human to do a quality job, they’re using AI to get a mediocre product for free. Is this how little they think of English-speaking audiences? Of translation? For shame,” she said.

Leonoudakis also claimed that machine translation is not yet smart enough to handle television or movies and suggested that audiovisual translators are already “criminally underpaid.”

The salary for those translating and dubbing subtitles can vary wildly depending on the material’s complexity, length and the region in which an individual is employed.

Employees in the field can expect to make anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000; however, as is the case with many entertainment jobs, the number of positions is limited.

Fans are divided on the decision. local_doctor – stock.adobe.com

Over the last several weeks, some anime fans online rejoiced at the idea of AI taking over the position of localizers, citing numerous examples of botched translations.

“Get your tiny liberal hands away from my fave animes,” one TikTok user said.

“It’s not even mistranslations: it’s blatantly changing it to something that wasn’t there in the first place,” another account chimed in.

In particular, YouTube star Asmongold, who has over 2 million subscribers, slammed localizers for concerns over translation integrity amid the AI debacle, noting that they had previously defended inaccurate translations in the name of artistic creativity.

Some fans believe AI translators will result in more authentic translations. AFP via Getty Images

“They insert woke stuff. They alter the meaning of things to fit with agendas. Well, then they’re not localizers; they’re just liars, right?” he said.

One incident of inaccurate subtitles occurred in February when fans noticed several alterations to the anime adaptation of “My Life as Inukai-san’s Dog.”

In the English version of the series’ second episode, the show’s protagonist calls another character, Mike, a “bimbo.” Such unsavory language was never included in the Japanese original.

It was eventually revealed that Leonoudakis was responsible for the questionable subtitles.

Online critics noted that Leonoudakis had also been a vocal defender of Seven Seas Entertainment’s decisions to change the “I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into a Girl” character Hiura Mihate from a feminine male to a transgender female.

Human translators have been criticized for adapting speech to fit agendas. Limitless Visions – stock.adobe.com

Following criticism, Leonoudakis snarkily addressed her critics, writing, “I am (unfortunately) doing some of my finest localization work on the anime about the high school girl who is legitimately sexually attracted to a corgi.”

The post showed examples of when she included English slang not present in the Japanese version of the series, including the terms “yeeted” and “resting b—ch” face.”

However, the most egregious example of altered Japanese works discussed online happened in the English dub of the show “Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid.”

The much-talked-about moment occurs in the twelfth episode of the first season, titled “Tohru and Kobayashi’s Impactful Meeting! (We’re Raising the Bar on Ourselves),” when Aztec dragon goddess Quetzalcoatl, also known as Lucoa, tries to cover up her body following comments by Tohru.

“The Ancient Magus Bride.” Bushiroad

“Look at these clothes. I made sure to tone down the body exposure,” Lucoa later says in the original manga.

“It would be nice if you could change the body next time,” Tohru responds.

The tone and language of the discussion was kept similar in Kyoto Animation’s animated adaption. Even Seven Seas, whose recent localizations of manga have become controversial, retained the playful personality of Lucoa throughout their version of the series.

But the English dub from Funimation was significantly altered by former scriptwriter Jamie Marchi, who was accused of injecting her “own flavor of feminist virtue signaling.”

In this version, when asked why she changed her outfit, Lucoa says, “Oh, those pesky patriarchal societal demands were getting on my nerves, so I changed my clothes.”

“Give it a week; they’ll be begging you to change back,” Tohru replies.

During an appearance on the Summer SacAnime Convention’s “Women of My Hero Academia” panel, Marchi was asked about the backlash to her interpretation of the source material.

“I have a vagina. Deal with it,” Marchi responded.

“Honestly, that’s the truth,” she added. “I am a woman. I am a funny woman. We are all talented, funny, powerful women. We are out here. It is going to happen. Deal with it. I’m sorry you’re not getting laid. It’s not about you, move on.”

Marchi has continued to defend her work and translations in recent months.

“Why do you rewrite with an agenda? Why are you forcing politics into your writing? Why do you hate men? Why are you racist? Why do you hate the work that you do? Bad faith questions don’t deserve my respect. If you think they do, then I don’t care if you think I’m a bad person,” Marchi wrote in a December 31 post on X.

Marchi would later claim her work is “what happens” when a script is dubbed into a different language, claiming that all the lines inevitably change.

When asked why her dub doesn’t follow the subtitles, she suggested that subtitles will never be as close to the Japanese version as the translation because of “subtitle rules.”

Marchi said that when a script is changed into a new language, all the lines inevitably change. Limitless Visions – stock.adobe.com

“I had a lot of flaps to fill and pesky patriarchal society filled up the flaps,” she would later write to a critic of the material. “I know you don’t like the word; you’ve made that abundantly clear.”

Marchi has also called critics of her work “misogynist” and “Nazis” and claimed they are only mad about the language change because some are desperate for the approval of “grifters.”

Aviv Digital founder and marketing consultant Vipin Nayar said that while the automation of translation can streamline processes, maintaining “cultural nuances” and avoiding the imposition of biases remains critical.  

“It’s a delicate balance,” Nayar said. ‘The recent backlash against Marchi and other localizers emphasizes the need for transparency and sensitivity in the localization process. As digital platforms continue to evolve, companies need to navigate these controversies with a commitment to authenticity and respect for diverse perspectives.”

Maybury agreed and said the controversy surrounding Marchi has reignited debates about human translators, the potential biases of AI algorithms and the implications of injecting political opinions into translations.

“The online outcry against Marchi and localizers accused of using political language in translations shows how sensitive fans are to preserving original content,” he added. “AI in anime localization can be a mixed bag. It can be effective but also put cultural authenticity at risk. The online outcry against localizers accused of ‘ideological insertions’ highlights the need to balance AI and human expertise to ensure accurate and culturally relevant translations.”

Leonoudakis, Marchi, Asmongold and Sony did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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Why Taco Bell's New Boss Says He's 'Not the Dictionary Definition of a CEO' - Entrepreneur - Dictionary

To view our entire 2024 Franchise 500 list, including category rankings, click HERE

Started Franchising: 1964

Total Units: 8,320

Cost to Open: $575.6K-$3.4M

Everyone knows Taco Bell. But not everyone knows Sean Tresvant, who took over as CEO at the beginning of this year. And Tresvant likes it that way.

"I've never been one who does it for the limelight," says Tresvant. He doesn't go on TV to pontificate, and generally prefers that colleagues be interviewed instead of him. "I'm probably the most introverted extrovert. I always tell people it's not about me. It's about the team. I don't need to get my bars up."

Instead, Tresvant has spent his career raising the bar for great brands — spending time at Sports Illustrated and PepsiCo, rising to CMO for Nike's Jordan brand, and then joining Taco Bell in 2022 as its global chief brand officer. Now he's succeeding former Taco Bell CEO Mark King, who retired at the end of 2023, which means Tresvant is stepping into the hottest seat in the hottest brand in franchising, where attention will be hard to escape. But he knows his No. 1 mission:

"My job, and our job as the Taco Bell team, is to keep this brand hot," says Tresvant.

How hot is Taco Bell? So hot that it's reached No. 1 on our Franchise 500 for the fourth year in a row—only the second brand to accomplish that in the ranking's 45-year history. (The other was Subway.) So hot that unit growth was 12.4% over the past three years, worldwide system sales grew 11% in 2023, and its profit margins are 24% — a number that David Gibbs, CEO of Taco Bell's parent company Yum! Brands, called "industry-leading" during a recent analyst call.

Related: How Taco Bell Became the Top Franchise in the World

Tresvant has already turned up the heat since joining the brand by steering some of its recent attention-getting moves — like rallying Doja Cat and Dolly Parton to bring back Mexican Pizza (a beloved menu item that was discontinued during COVID), and partnering with LeBron James to "liberate" the trademark on "Taco Tuesday" (which was owned by rival Taco John's and Gregory's Restaurant & Bar, thus prohibiting anyone else from using the phrase).

Now Tresvant must keep this momentum going, while also coordinating with franchisees and acclimating to the challenges of leadership. Here, he discusses how to make a brand culturally resonate, how to keep it that way, and how great leaders can empower their teams.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Taco Bell

Your predecessor Mark King once told us a story: When he first joined Taco Bell, he didn't fully grasp how culturally powerful the brand had become. Then a week into his job, he was shocked by how many came out to a four-day Taco Bell takeover of a fancy Palm Springs hotel — where he ended up with a Taco Bell logo shaved into his head. I'm curious what you didn't fully appreciate about Taco Bell until you started.

My story is different from Mark's, but very similar in underestimating the power of the brand. Two things would happen. First, wherever I would go, if I was at an event or a gathering or a conference, everybody wanted to talk about their favorite Taco Bell meal of today or of the past. "When are you going to bring back the Quesalupa? What about the Enchirito?" or "Hey, bring the caramel empanada back," or "Hey, I just ordered from Taco Bell at my store, and you guys need to make sure that you keep so-and-so on the menu." It was pretty incredible — the love and the passion people have for this brand and the menu.

Then, of course, I like to represent the brand, so I'd wear Taco Bell merch to places, and people would stop me. "Oh, where did you get that?" I had a jacket that just had the bell on it, and one guy tried to buy it off me. That's pretty powerful. I don't know many brands in the world that have that cultlike passionate following.

Related: Yes, You Can Buy a Franchise In a Bad Economy — But First, Ask These 5 Questions

Branding is so interesting, because there's nothing inherently culturally resonant about Taco Bell, right? Same for Nike, which is cool now — but at the start, Phil Knight was hustling to make it relevant. Do you think that there's anything inherent about a brand that allows it to succeed culturally? Or can the right leadership accomplish that anywhere?

I do believe from the start that Taco Bell wasn't like any other brand. It has an incredible origin story, like some of the best brands do. In 1962, when Glen Bell started Taco Bell in California, think about it — it was Mexican food. It wasn't burgers. It wasn't fries. It wasn't pizza. So, inherently, it was different. Inherently, it was for people who were curious. Inherently, it was for people who were bold and courageous to try something new. Fast-forward, and I believe that DNA still exists in the brand.

That answer contained something that every great brand storyteller does, which is to build upon the origin story of a brand. There's really interesting research about how a founder's story can be a differentiation point for consumers. There's a very intentional connection you're drawing here, from the brand's origin to its positioning today — and I would love to hear you, as someone who understands brand marketing, talk about how to smartly use an origin story.

If I'm sitting in a room with marketing people, the question is: "How do you 'dimensionalize' the story?" Here are two answers. One is this idea of math and magic: How do you take all the math that is available today and turn it into magic? The other one is — we have a saying here, which I think Taco Bell does better than any other brand: "Hit people in the head, and hit them in the heart." You hit people in the head with your pricing, with your operations, with how you go to market — all very important things. But none of that matters if you can't hit people in the heart. You make people feel the brand, make people love the brand.

What's a real-world example of taking a piece of data and turning it into magic?

We have a lot of data from our restaurants and from our social channels. Whenever we post something about the brand, people talk a lot about menu items of the past. The Enchirito or Quesalupa comes up, and the threads just go crazy. "I remember when my mom took me," or "I remember how it tasted," or "I used to get it with tomatoes." So we took all that data, and in 2022, we started to have people vote on two items — to let the consumer decide which item we actually brought back on the menu.

That's the same insight that you personally got when arriving at Taco Bell, right? People would tell you whatever random menu item they remember. It's cool that the observation that you had as an individual turned out to also be a starting point for a powerful brand action. What should leaders do with the little personal experiences that they might have out in the world?

I think great leaders need to listen more, to the data and to the team. We could have explained that experience — which wasn't exclusively my experience — away. But if you have the right people in the organization, they'll say, "How do we take these two things, an anecdote and a real data phenomenon, and turn it into some magic about something that consumers can actually do?"

Related: How Taco Bell Is Becoming the World's Most Innovative Franchise

What I'm hearing is this process of capturing something that's in the air — that hasn't been put down anywhere, that's not from some test that had already been run. How do you create something that delivers something people want, but that they're not necessarily articulating that they want?

One thing that helps the organization get to the magic quickly is that, in Mark's time here, he had this idea of restless creativity. So it doesn't matter what function you're in — it's not only reserved for the marketers, but whether you're in ops, finance, HR, sales — this idea of being restlessly creative permeates the organization. When you have some anecdotes, and you have the quantitative data, the culture of being restlessly creative is: What if we put those two things together and let the consumer decide what we bring back?

Now, think about that. That sounds easy from me or the marketer saying it. But now you've got to go to supply chain: How available are the ingredients? You've got to go to operations: How do we make it on the line? How do you price it? All those things have to come together. You've got to bring the organization along about why this is a good thing for the consumer, for the business, for the franchisee. We wouldn't be able to do it if it was just a marketing idea. But since people have the DNA of being restlessly creative, it all comes together.

I've found that the best ideas always start with "What if we...?" But I've worked at places where we ran into exactly the problem you're solving for: We had a great idea, and then it got to the next department that would be involved...

And they're like, "No way."

Right. I've often wondered what went wrong. Was the idea not good enough? Was the other department just lazy? Maybe the answer is: Leadership must ensure that every department's job is, in some way, to at least engage with the "What if we..?" ideas. How do you instill that?

I believe this organization has a very high trust bar — not only internal to Taco Bell corporate, but also with the franchisees. Again, tie it back to the origin story: Where would the brand be if we didn't take some big swings? If we didn't say, "Just go with us on this one"? Sometimes we get it right — more times than not. But sometimes we take a swing, and instead of a home run, it might be a double. But we learn a lot from it.

Trust is a hard thing to build with franchisees. I hear this all the time from franchisors — that they want to introduce changes, but franchisees are uncomfortable. I know Taco Bell has a long history of empowering franchisees to think boldly. But it's another thing to have franchisees be "restlessly creative."

What makes the Taco Bell system unique is its incredible dialogue. In my first couple of weeks on the job, a lot of franchisees called me personally, and we talked about the business, we talked about my vision, we talked about their vision, we talked about what they think is working, what they think is not working.

I think whenever there's a big decision to make, there is what I will call "radical candor with respect." Because we're a system, everybody wants to do the right thing — but at the same time, we're not afraid to have tough conversations, have great debates, all in the service of getting either to the right answer or aligned around an answer. What we agree upon is this: They're not going to win all the time, and Taco Bell is not going to win all the time, but as long as the consumer wins all the time and the team member wins all the time, then we're doing the right thing.

I once heard you describe your leadership style in three words. You said, "approachable, curious, and empowering." How do you put it into practice?

Let's take approachable. I'm probably not the dictionary definition of a CEO for many reasons. Maybe it's the way I look, the way I act. I've got sneakers on right now…

I'm wearing Crocs right now.

And I'm always my authentic self. My authentic self is: It doesn't matter what level you are, whether it's the top of the organization or the people who are just starting out, I like to have conversations. I like to meet people where they are.

I drive my executive assistant crazy, because people say, "Hey, I want to have a coffee chat, or a little bit of mentorship with Sean," and I usually don't say no. I feel like I'm in my position because I had great mentors, leaders, somebody who gave me 10 minutes in a coffee chat. I have a career journey that started where most of the people start out. I want to always be approachable to those people.

I bet that attitude makes a huge difference when engaging with franchisees.

It does. David Gibbs, CEO of Yum! Brands, said something that really stuck with me: "When you enter the brand

or the business, come through the front door and the back door." Meaning, make sure you also come through the back door — to the kitchen — and thank the team members. I don't have restaurant experience. But you need to understand how the line works, and you need to understand how difficult it is when you're leading the drive-thru or making a Crunchwrap. Being approachable means that, when you go in the restaurant, you don't just stand on the other side of the counter.

Related: Use This Checklist to Avoid Buying a 'Zombie' Franchise

As someone who didn't have restaurant experience, I'm curious what you have done to feel comfortable in this space and what you would advise other leaders who are similarly entering a new industry.

I'll give you two. One is to be humble enough to know what you don't know. Go to the experts in those fields or the functional leaders, and learn. A lot of times, leaders — because they're in a certain position or have a certain title — they feel like they can't learn or shouldn't ask.

The second thing is probably some of the best advice I got early on: Don't try to be a black belt in everything. If you're going to try to be a black belt in everything, you can't accomplish it. They said, "Be a black belt in marketing — that's what you are. But be a brown belt or a red belt in development, finance, operations, HR, and then hire or have black belts in those other functions." I don't need to be an expert in every function. That's why I have an incredible team.

It's so critical — to give yourself permission to not be great at everything.

It powers the organization. It creates trust. They realize that, as a boss, I'm going to understand what they do and I may have points of view on development and have questions, but I'm counting on them to lead it.

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