Microsoft Launches MAI-Transcribe-2: Fastest, Cheapest Speech-to-Text Across 60 Languages
Microsoft AI unveiled MAI-Transcribe-2 on September 3, 2026, its latest speech-to-text model supporting 60 languages, including Thai. The model topped the FLEURS benchmark with an average word error rate of 5.2% across all supported languages, achieving a best-in-class 3.4% error rate specifically for Thai. Priced at $0.10 per audio hour as a promotional rate through year-end, it represents a roughly 72% reduction from the first version's $0.36 price five months ago. New features include speaker diarization, word-level timestamps, keyword biasing for domain-specific vocabulary, and code-switching support for mixed-language conversations. This is Microsoft's third transcription model in five months, part of a broader strategy to develop its own frontier AI models and gradually replace OpenAI technology across its products.
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