Hi folks, Maybe it's a side topic. I've created an issue and drafted PR about the option 2 solution we discussed earlier. Issue: https://github.com/apache/answer/issues/1614 PR: https://github.com/apache/answer/pull/1615
*The detailed design doc is in the PR's `docs/agent-access.md`. Note that this PR is not for merging purposes, it's just for discussion which is easy to leave comments. After finalized the design, I think we can create several sub-PRs to make it easier to review/validate.* I've deployed this POC code to the same endpoint. You can follow the below steps to try it and let me know if any feedback! git clone --branch agentic-exp https://github.com/hgaol/answer.git /tmp/answer-agentic-exp cd /tmp/answer-agentic-exp # Install the Answer skill from this branch npx skills add . --skill answer --agent '*' --copy -y # Install answer-cli from this branch go install ./cmd/answer-cli # Ensure Go-installed binaries are on PATH export PATH="$(go env GOPATH)/bin:$PATH" # Verify answer-cli version # Go to https://answer-demo-gh-8b20709f.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com/users/settings/personal-access-tokens portal with the test user and create a PAT. Copy the value [image: image.png] # add PAT for answer-cli. run below cmd, and paste the PAT value when asking for input answer-cli auth login --with-token --server https://answer-demo-gh-8b20709f.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com/ --name azuretestuser # Open any coding agent with 'answer' SKILL loaded, and typing input like '/answer list all questions' etc. Example screenshot of result in agent. You can also try other operations. [image: image.png] On Mon, Sep 14, 2026 at 8:15 PM Christofer Dutz <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi All, > > And as I mentioned before … might be worth contacting the folks from > Apache RAI. > They might be able to provide the AI compute for offering translations for > the Apache instance of Answer as soon as that’s updated to a version > containing this feature. > > Chris > > > Von: LinkinStar <[email protected]> > Datum: Montag, 14. September 2026 um 13:13 > An: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Betreff: Re: Using AI for translation? > > Hi Luke, > > I've already tested it, and it works great. We'll do a code review later, > and if everything looks good, we'll merge it. Hi @Feng Dong, could you > offer some suggestions on the UI design? I feel like the button's position > and style might not look quite right. > > Best regards, > LinkinStar > > On Sun, Sep 13, 2026 at 5:00 AM Christofer Dutz <[email protected] > > > wrote: > > > Hi Luke, > > > > Just played around with it … used German to query and I liked the > > responses ;-) > > > > Great Job 😊 > > > > I asked it some questions I could see that had been asked before and it > > looked great. > > > > Chris > > > > > > Von: Luke Gao <[email protected]> > > Datum: Samstag, 12. September 2026 um 12:47 > > An: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > Betreff: Re: Using AI for translation? > > > > Hey LinkinStart, Christofer, for the AI translation button to translate > > question/answer before submitting, here's the issue and PR. > > Issue: https://github.com/apache/answer/issues/1610 > > PR: https://github.com/apache/answer/pull/1611 > > > > I've deployed thse changes to a test environment and you can visit > > https://answer-demo-gh-8b20709f.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com to play. > > user: [email protected]/123123123 (It's a test environment with mock data, > so > > feel free to play with it) > > > > On Fri, Sep 11, 2026 at 7:05 PM Christofer Dutz < > [email protected] > > > > > wrote: > > > > > Really looking forward to playing around with this 😉 > > > > > > Having the ASF knowledge in the asf answer instance and possibly having > > > Apache RAI help with providing the AI infrastructure, this could be a > > cool > > > thing for the foundation. > > > > > > Chris > > > > > > > > > Von: Luke Gao <[email protected]> > > > Datum: Freitag, 11. September 2026 um 10:42 > > > An: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > > Betreff: Re: Using AI for translation? > > > > > > Hi LinkinStar, glad that you agreed on the option 2 direction! I will > do > > > some POC and continue the discussion in related issues/discussions. > > > > > > On Thu, Sep 10, 2026 at 5:27 PM LinkinStar <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > > > Hi Han, > > > > > > > > Thank you for summarizing the options and the possible directions. > > > > > > > > First, Option 2—extending Answer through a local coding agent, CLI, > and > > > > Skills—is a very good direction to explore. It could support > > multilingual > > > > use cases as well as broader integrations between Answer and AI > agents. > > > We > > > > would be very happy to see your contribution. We can continue the > > > > discussion and refine the scope and technical design in the related > > > issue. > > > > > > > > For current requests, I suggest that we first take an approach that > is > > > > simple to implement and can be validated quickly. The existing AI > > > Assistant > > > > can already help users ask in their preferred language and receive > > > answers > > > > in that language, so there is already a usable entry point for > > > > cross-language retrieval and Q&A. > > > > > > > > For users creating questions and answers, we could add an AI > > translation > > > > button. After writing their content, a user could click the button to > > > > translate it into the site’s designated content language. For > example, > > > on a > > > > site where English is the primary content language, a question or > > answer > > > > written in German could be translated into English before submission. > > > > > > > > This approach has several benefits: > > > > > > > > - It is straightforward for users, who can draft content in their > > > preferred > > > > language. > > > > - Questions and answers remain stored in one common language, which > > helps > > > > search, moderation, duplicate detection, and long-term knowledge > > sharing. > > > > - Answer already has an AI provider, model, and prompt configuration, > > so > > > > this should be relatively simple to implement and validate based on > the > > > > existing AI capabilities. > > > > - Users should always be able to review, edit, or discard the > > translated > > > > text before submitting it. > > > > > > > > As a later improvement, we could add a “Translate” action on > questions, > > > > answers, and comments. It would translate the currently displayed > > content > > > > into the user’s interface language for reading. The original content > > > would > > > > remain the authoritative version, while the translation would be a > > > reading > > > > aid. > > > > > > > > This could be a practical first step: address language normalization > > when > > > > content is created while using the existing AI Assistant for > > multilingual > > > > retrieval. We can then improve on-demand translation, caching, > provider > > > > selection, and other details based on real usage and further > > discussion. > > > > > > > > Best regards, > > > > LinkinStar > > > > > > > > On Wed, Sep 9, 2026 at 11:11 PM Han Gao <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hey Christofer, > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for the clarification! I did some tests and here's something > > in > > > my > > > > > mind. Welcome any feedback! > > > > > > > > > > There're several ways to achieve the goal 'ask in A language and > > return > > > > in > > > > > A, while most questions/answers are B or others'. > > > > > Option 1 - use current AI capabilities in Answer. > > > > > You can enable AI and chat in 'AI Assistant', then ask in your > > prefered > > > > > language. Generally, it'll translate and return in your language. > > e.g. > > > I > > > > > asked in Chinese and returned in Chinese, and the question/answers > > were > > > > all > > > > > in English. *Screenshot is attached.* > > > > > > > > > > Option 2 - use local coding agent via CLI + SKILL (WIP) > > > > > > > > > > I saw there's a starter issue for this. > > > > > https://github.com/apache/answer/issues/1555. I do think it can > also > > > > work > > > > > as the existing AI capabilities or even better. > > > > > > > > > > BTW, I guess this is a starter feature for this goal(CLI+SKILL). > I'm > > > very > > > > > happy to contribute to make it come true. CC @fenbox @LinkinStar > > > > > > > > > > Option 3 - support translation for search/search result, and also > > > support > > > > > translating to target language for questions/answers/comments > > > > > > > > > > Option 4 - only support translation for search/search result, and > > > > leverage > > > > > browser translation feature to translate. > > > > > > > > > > Which option do you prefer? > > > > > Also + @fenbox @linkinstar to share if any comments. > > > > > Hope we can figure out a better user experience in the discussion! > > > > > > > > > > Han > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Sep 9, 2026 at 1:13 AM Christofer Dutz < > > > > [email protected]> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > >> Yeah, > > > > >> > > > > >> So I know I’m good with English, but I know there are many people > > > (even > > > > >> at the ASF) which work and think in other languages. > > > > >> I just thought, if we allowed anyone to query our knowledge-bases > > and > > > > get > > > > >> responses in whatever language they like, this could be a great > > > feature. > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> Chris > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> Von: Han Gao <[email protected]> > > > > >> Datum: Dienstag, 8. September 2026 um 15:47 > > > > >> An: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > > > >> Betreff: Re: Using AI for translation? > > > > >> > > > > >> Hi Christofer, > > > > >> > > > > >> When you say "user asks a question in German", do you mean user > ask > > in > > > > the > > > > >> search bar? Or something else? > > > > >> > > > > >> Per your statement, here's my understanding. *Let's assume the > > > majority > > > > >> language is English, and this user uses German. * > > > > >> 1. user search a question in German in search bar > > > > >> 2. service translate to English and search > > > > >> 3. return in the original language and render in German in search > > > result > > > > >> 4. when in specific question page, it can show in either German or > > > > >> origin(English) > > > > >> > > > > >> Is that what you mean? > > > > >> > > > > >> Han > > > > >> > > > > >> On Mon, Sep 7, 2026 at 4:59 PM Christofer Dutz < > > > > [email protected] > > > > >> > > > > > >> wrote: > > > > >> > > > > >> > Hi all, > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Ok … just wanted to make sure if it’s already in there and I > just > > > need > > > > >> to > > > > >> > configure it. > > > > >> > If it’s not … yeah … I think this could be a huge benefit for > > users. > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Especially with the whole Apache RAI initiative, I could imagine > > > that > > > > >> the > > > > >> > ASF could possibly provide the infra/credits for running such a > > > > >> translation > > > > >> > service on the Apache hosted Apache Answer instance. > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Chris > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > Von: Feng Dong <[email protected]> > > > > >> > Datum: Montag, 7. September 2026 um 05:07 > > > > >> > An: [email protected] <[email protected]> > > > > >> > Betreff: Re: Using AI for translation? > > > > >> > > > > > >> > That's a good idea, I agree. > > > > >> > > > > > >> > LinkinStar <[email protected]> 于2026年9月7日周一 10:45写道： > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > Hi all, > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > I think that's a good suggestion. Currently, in version 2.0 > > Apache > > > > >> > Answer, > > > > >> > > the AI serves only as a tool to assist with Q&A, helping users > > > find > > > > >> > answers > > > > >> > > more quickly and avoid duplicate questions. The addition of > > > > AI-powered > > > > >> > > automatic translation might help users who speak other > languages > > > > >> quickly > > > > >> > > ask questions in English. > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > Best regards, > > > > >> > > LinkinStar > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > On Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at 12:38 AM Christofer Dutz < > > > > >> > [email protected] > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > wrote: > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > Hi all, > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > I was brainstorming a bit about how we could possibly use > > Answer > > > > on > > > > >> a > > > > >> > > > foundation level. > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > I’m still looking for ways we can all communicate in our own > > > > >> languages, > > > > >> > > so > > > > >> > > > I had a look if answer allowed using something like an AI > > > > >> translation > > > > >> > > > system. > > > > >> > > > If seems general support for AI accessing Answer seems to be > > > > >> available > > > > >> > > > since 2.0, but could Answer support using AI? > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > I was thinking … possibly a knowledgeable is in English, > but a > > > > user > > > > >> > asks > > > > >> > > a > > > > >> > > > question in German … it would be great if the translation > > > service > > > > >> could > > > > >> > > > translate the query to English, this could then be executed > > and > > > > then > > > > >> > the > > > > >> > > > result would be translated back to the original question > > > language. > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > Has this been discussed? Is this possible? > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > Chris > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > > >> > > > > > > >> > > > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Thanks, > > > Luke > > > > > > > > > -- > > Thanks, > > Luke > > > -- Thanks, Luke
