SlatorPod

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with key highlights from the latest Slator Pro Guide: The Future of Language Industry Jobs. The guide focuses on the future of jobs and freelance opportunities in the language industry, noting the impact of AI on employment trends.The duo analyze the 2024 Inc. 5,000 list, which includes 14 LSPs this year, with companies like PGLS, Propio Language Services, and Boostlingo among the highest-ranked, demonstrating strong growth over the past three years.In other industry news, amid a rocky Q2 2024, AMN Healthcare Services reported an 18% year-on-year increase in revenue for its language services division, driven by strong utilization of video interpretation.Florian addresses a recent content hack involving media localizer Iyuno, where unreleased Netflix shows were leaked online, underscoring the importance of security and confidentiality in the industry.Esther touches on recent labor strikes affecting the game localization and dubbing sectors, driven by the Screen Actors Guild's action. Keywords Studios also announced layoffs of linguists in Italy, sparking a linguist strike and highlighting ongoing tensions between AI and human talent in localization. The podcast concludes with Esther’s M&A and funding corner, including Translate.One's acquisition of Intertext and funding rounds for Language I/O and Bering Lab, signaling continued investment and growth in the language industry.

Spence Green, CEO and Co-founder of LILT, the AI solution provider for enterprise translation, joins SlatorPod. On the podcast, Spence discusses the evolution of LILT's end-to-end platform, which integrates AI models with human verification to ensure quality standards.The CEO notes a significant shift in enterprise approaches towards localization, now being more software-driven rather than service-driven, which has been influenced by the broader adoption and focus on AI technologies post-ChatGPT.Spence emphasizes the importance of continuous training and customization of AI models to improve accuracy and efficiency in translation. He highlights how localization has emerged as an early winner to showcase the return on investment in AI.Spence addresses the impact of AI on the translation industry, including the potential for linguist shortages due to low rates driven by machine translation post-editing. He predicts that the market will eventually adjust, but in the meantime, there is a need for higher-skilled linguists to manage the gap left by AI models.The podcast concludes with insights into LILT's recent features, such as AI Analytics, which provide clients with deeper insights into the impact of AI on their localization processes. Spence also talks about the potential for multilingual content creation using AI, the challenges of segment-level interfaces, and the importance of workflow orchestration in localization.

Paul Ghio, Co-founder of AI video localization startup Supernative, joins SlatorPod to talk about how language AI is reshaping how we create and consume content globally.Paul shares how his passion for helping creators and his experience with internationalization at Shutterstock and Yelp led him to start Supernative, with a mission to democratize video localization using AI.The Co-founder outlines Supernative's technology stack, which includes well-known models like Whisper for speech-to-text, ChatGPT for translation, and ElevenLabs for speech generation. He highlights the importance of improving these core capabilities, such as voice cloning and lip-syncing, to deliver high-quality dubbing at a competitive cost. Paul discusses the current landscape and challenges of the AI localization market. He notes that while there is significant interest and potential in AI-driven localization, retaining users remains a challenge due to the novelty factor wearing off. He elaborates on Supernative's strategy to introduce collaborative features to better align with the workflows of content creators and businesses, which could be a more sustainable strategy for user retention and growth.Paul also touches on their long-term vision, including more comprehensive localization tools that cater to cultural and contextual nuances, and the possibility of localizing video content itself.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with a nearly USD 4m settlement involving Language Line Services and ongoing disputes in Canada, where freelance interpreters are protesting against unpaid breaks during debates.Florian highlights a YouTube video about UN simultaneous interpreting and the rigorous standards and working conditions for UN interpreters.Esther shares a significant procurement opportunity from the UK's Crown Commercial Service, which plans to issue a GBP 250m tender for various language services.In tech news, the duo talk about DeepL’s new LLM launch that claims to outperform competitors in translation quality. They also touch on the trend of adding translation features to various SaaS platforms, like Airtable and Happy Scribe.A tweetstorm by venture capitalist Olivia Moore from Andreessen Horowitz introduces the concept of "AI Scribes," suggesting a significant market opportunity for AI-driven transcription services.In an M&A and funding corner, AI video startup Captions raised USD 60m at a USD 500m valuation and Mantra, a Japanese manga translation startup, raised nearly USD 5m. Toppan Digital Language acquired Austria’s Meinrad and Universal Music Group partnered with SoundLabs AI for voice cloning and language transposition in songs.

João Graça, Co-founder and CTO of language operations platform Unbabel, joins SlatorPod to talk about the present and future of large language models (LLMs) and their broad impact across all things translation and localization.First, the CTO explains how Unbabel was founded to address language barriers for people using services like Airbnb, combining MT with human validation to improve translation quality.João believes that LLMs are quickly replacing neural MT models as much more R&D is going into LLMs vs NMT. He highlights that LLMs can handle more complex tasks like automatic post-editing, source correction, and cultural adaptation, which were previously difficult to achieve with traditional models.He also tells the backstory of the company's decision to develop TowerLLM. João shares how Unbabel's approach involves using open-source LLMs, fine-tuning them with multilingual data, and applying techniques like retrieval-augmented generation to improve translation quality in production settings.Despite the advancements, João acknowledges that human intervention is still necessary for high-stakes translation tasks.The podcast concludes with the hiring environment for AI talent and the future directions for LLM development, with João expressing optimism about the continued progress and potential of these models.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with a legal battle in the UK involving public sector interpreting and the classification of interpreters as freelancers or workers, which could significantly impact the business models of language service providers (LSPs).The duo explores Google Translate's recent expansion to support over 200 languages, adding 110 new ones using their large language model, Palm 2.Florian talks about the insolvency of Landexx, a German LSP, following a pattern of recent bankruptcies in the language service industry in Europe.Meanwhile, Keywords Studios, a major player in game localization, is set to be acquired by the private equity firm EQT, valuing the LSP at approximately USD 2.2 billion.Esther gives an M&A corner, including Translate.One's acquisition of Enable2 in the UK, Valorem Group's purchase of Ireland-based TRANSLIT, and difuze's acquisition of the accessibility division of Blackstone Sight and Sound in Canada. Additionally, Esther covers a pre-seed funding round by Dubme.io, a Spanish startup specializing in AI-powered dubbing.The podcast concludes with a discussion on the Interpreting SAFE AI Task Force, which has released guidelines for the ethical use of AI in interpreting, emphasizing the importance of maintaining quality, accountability, and transparency in the industry.

Josh Goldsmith, Geek-In-Chief of techforword, joins SlatorPod to talk about his multiple roles as a linguist, conference interpreter, and educator.Josh shares his multifaceted background in linguistics and language teaching, highlighting his passion for language and education, which led him to co-found techforword.Josh explains the current landscape of conference interpreting, noting a shift back to on-site interpreting post-COVID, which he prefers due to better sound quality, easier access to documents, and the human connection it offers.He touches on the importance of personal branding for translators and interpreters, suggesting practical steps like professional email addresses, good headshots, and a strong LinkedIn presence.Josh delves into the practical applications of AI in interpreting, with AI tools for glossary management, terminology extraction, and preparation for interpreting assignments. He also stresses the ethical concerns of AI and the need for human interpreters to navigate cultural differences and ensure accurate communication.Josh discusses his various projects, including the AI Language Club, which offers tutorials on using AI for language learning. Looking ahead, Josh plans to focus on the AI in Translation Summit and the AI in Translation Bootcamp, which offer hands-on experiences with the latest AI tools.

Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, giving a recap of SlatorCon London and exploring some use cases from the Slator Pro Guide: Language AI for Consumers.Florian talks about Andrew Ng's recent project on agentic machine translation, which involves using large language models (LLMs) to create a virtual language service provider (LSP).The duo touch on Apple's recent Worldwide Developer Conference, where Apple Watch is set to get a translation widget and also recently announced a new translation API.Florian shares RWS's half-year financial results, where despite declines in revenue, the company's stock rose by 20%, likely due to investor perception of AI-enabled services and new product offerings like Evolve and HAI gaining traction.Esther talks about DeepL's USD 300m funding round, which valued the company at USD 2bn, a testament to the growing interest in AI models. She also covers Unbabel's launch of TowerLLM, which claims to outperform competitors like Google Translate and DeepL.In Esther’s M&A corner, Keywords Studios eyes a GBP 2.2bn deal from Swedish private equity firm EQT, Melbourne LSP Ethnolink buys Sydney-based competitor Language Professionals, and ZOO Digital acquires Italian dubbing partner LogoSound.Esther gives a nod to the positive financial performances of companies like ZOO Digital and AMN's language services division, with more mixed results for Straker.

Marina Ilari, CEO of Terra Translations and Terra Localizations, joins SlatorPod to talk about her professional journey and the world of game localization. The CEO shares the strategic decision to create Terra Localizations in 2008 to cater specifically to the gaming industry's requirements. She attributes the company's growth to the ability to offer boutique-level services while scaling efficiently to handle larger projects.Marina discusses the complexities of game localization, which requires specialized project managers, linguists, and QA teams. She explains that clients range from indie game developers, who might have budget constraints but are deeply invested in quality, to large publishers who finance and market games globally.The podcast also touches on the challenges of marketing and competing in the game localization industry against both small and large players.Addressing the impact of AI and other technologies, Marina acknowledges their role in creating efficiencies and advancing tasks within the localization process. However, she underscores the importance of ethical and responsible use of AI, particularly in a creative and culturally sensitive field like game localization.Marina also talks about Terra's new HR service offering, Terra Team Up, which emerged from a client demand for recruiting and consulting services, primarily targeting the Latin American talent.Marina concludes by reflecting on the importance of staying true to the company's values and culture, which she believes has been key to their sustained growth and success.

Georg Ell, CEO of Phrase, returns to SlatorPod for round 2 to talk about the accelerating adoption of generative technologies and AI.Discussing the broader implications of AI, Georg notes that business leaders are increasingly focused on language technology for its cost, return on investment, and time-to-value benefits.Georg points out that these technologies are not just about improving translation quality but also about enabling hyperautomation, hyperpersonalization, and ultimately, hyperscale. The CEO shares that enterprise-grade technology for generating multilingual content at scale is still in demand, underscoring the need for robust, enterprise-quality solutions.The podcast explores new product launches from Phrase, including the introduction of Next GenMT, which combines GPT 4o with Phrase's own MT engine to enhance translation quality and efficiency.Georg also discusses Auto LQA (Language Quality Assessment), an AI-driven solution designed to assist linguists, not replace them, and significantly reduce costs and time spent on quality assessment.The CEO highlights Phrase's strategic shift towards being a platform rather than a product-centric company with an updated pricing model that allows customers to access a comprehensive suite of capabilities.Georg concludes by discussing Phrase's strategic partnerships with major LSPs and the company's ecosystem-first approach.