Localization Today

Reviewed by Erik Shonstrom Tim Brookes’ book, Writing Beyond Writing, is at once an historical overview of scripts, a memoir about carving endangered scripts, a manifesto that takes aim at the dominance of the Latin script, and — perhaps most vitally — a clarion call to save the scripts used by marginalized peoples around the world.

Laszlo Varga discusses trends in language technology, including the shift from Nimdzi's Language Technology Atlas to the more dynamic Language Technology Radar and its launch.   The senior research consultant at Nimdzi Insights explains how AI and large language models (LLMs) are reducing human effort while creating new job opportunities and driving industry growth. He also goes on the integration of LLMs into workflows, the need for specialized models, and the ethical implications of AI, including language preservation and its future impact on the industry.

A conversation with Alexandra Jarvis, Chief Strategy Officer of Toppan Digital Language, and Christophe Djaouani, President, about TDL's recent acquisition and its impact on the global language services industry. They discuss the challenges of navigating a multinational organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, the evolution of the language services market, and the critical role of resilience and innovation in driving growth.

By Ewandro Magalhães When it comes to adopting AI, Ewandro Magalhães advises a balanced approach: taking it slow to avoid overpromising, but also keeping an open mind to possibilities. He argues that, ultimately, speaking openly about our fears and hopes will help us determine ethical ways to move forward with AI.

By John Yunker Lessons from 20 years of website dos and don’ts By John Yunker For 20 years, John Yunker has benchmarked the websites of the leading global brands in the annual Web Globalization Report Card. In this article, he highlights the best practices that resonate as strongly today as they did two decades ago.

By Domenico Lombardini How can a language service provider (LSP) create real value for customers, beyond just tailoring workflow tools or utilizing AI? Domenico Lombardini argues that offering synergistic services in specialized sectors can position an LSP as a go-to resource in the eyes of the customer.

The Globe-Trotting Journey of Translated 9 Interview by Cameron Rasmusson For eight months, an 18-member crew from Italian language service provider Translated competed in a sailing race around the world using only a sextant and stargazing as guides. Co-skipper Marco Trombetti describes the ups and downs of the voyage, the invaluable lessons learned, and the magnificent experiences the crew had along the way.  

Language Services at the Olympics By Nathalie Greff-Santamaria Translation and interpreting are central to the Olympic and Paralympic Games to facilitate communication among athletes, coaches, spectators, and journalists from around the world. Nathalie Greff-Santamaria, head of Paris 2024 Language Services, delves into the tools and techniques her team employs to provide these much-needed services in a complex, high-stakes environment.

By Shirley Yeng In the months after ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, Shirley Yeng often woke up at night worrying about the relevance of her localization business. Here, she tells the story of how she overcame her fear of a changing industry and learned to embrace the promises of AI.

We talk about his career path and RWS linguistic AI solution Evolve, which recently won the Machine Translation Innovation Award at the 2024 AI Breakthrough Awards.