Afleveringen
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Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with SlatorCon London, scheduled for May 23rd, announcing the speaker lineup, including a Keynote presentation from Iris Orriss of Meta.
They then discuss how enterprises are becoming increasingly comfortable launching fully automated language AI features, labeling it the ânormalization of language AIâ.
The duo talk about the unprecedented merger of Swiss-based SuperText and Textshuttle, signaling a shift towards more integrated, technology-driven solutions.
Other M&A activity includes Deluxe's strategic investment in AppTek, TransPerfect's acquisition of TheSpeech, Diuna Group acquiring Yellow, and Cloudbreak Healthâs sale.
Esther provides an update on financial results, with Straker anticipating a revenue decline while Keywords experienced growth in its top line but a decrease in its globalization division. Meanwhile, Appen faced a failed takeover bid after the bid was leaked, impacting the acquisition of the company.
The podcast also touches on Google Translateâs controversial decision to shelve its human feedback tool, Contribute, which allowed users to suggest translations for improvement. In other AI news, researchers from the Earth Species Project are exploring the possibility of translating animal communication using advanced AI models.
Florian wraps up the pod with the European Commission's recent tender award, TRAD23, which sparked concerns among individual translators regarding pricing and quality standards. -
Dr. B.J. Woodstein, Professor, Translator, and Writer, joins SlatorPod to talk about translation theory and its implications for literary translators, while also shedding light on the professional challenges, nuances, and ethical considerations.
B.J. discusses her upcoming book, âTranslation Theory for Literary Translatorsâ, where she aims to demystify translation theory and make it accessible to translators. She highlights the need for translators to understand and engage with translation theory to enhance their work and make informed decisions in their practice.
The author shares insights on the market dynamics of literary translation, including how translators are selected, rates are set, and the challenges faced in the industry.
She highlights the importance of human intervention in translation, especially in handling linguistic nuances, cultural concepts, and editorial decisions that go beyond what AI or machine translation can achieve.
B.J. reflects on the linguistic and cultural challenges in translating from Swedish to English, such as dealing with different language structures and cultural nuances that may not easily be translated. She also explores the complexities of translating sensitive or explicit content, where decisions need to be made to maintain cultural authenticity while adapting for the target market.
The podcast concludes with B.J. sharing her current research projects on equality, diversity, and inclusion in higher education, as well as her interest in translating queer literature. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Mihai Vlad, the Founder of Video Highlight and former General Manager of Language Weaver, joins SlatorPod to talk about his entrepreneurial journey and insights into the language AI startup landscape.
Mihai discusses his latest venture, Video Highlight, which aims to solve the inefficiency of extracting valuable information from lengthy videos by providing automatic transcription, timestamped summaries, key highlights, and interactive chats.
By enabling summaries in multiple languages, Video Highlight gained unexpected traction from non-English speakers in Latin America, Europe, and Asia, indicating a global demand for efficient video consumption tools.
Mihai talks about the utility of leveraging AI-powered models, particularly LLMs, in various content creation and processing tasks, such as summarizing podcasts, generating derivative content, and aiding in machine translation.
Mihai reflects on the entrepreneurial journey in AI, emphasizing the importance of timing, innovation, and adaptability. He discusses the challenges of balancing cost-effectiveness while scaling up operations and the significance of making strategic decisions regarding API usage and infrastructure. -
Chris Reynolds, the EVP and General Manager of Worldwide Localization and Fulfillment at Deluxe, joins SlatorPod to talk about the complexities of dubbing and the potential impact of AI on the industry.
Chris discusses the different elements in the dubbing process, including voice casting, script adaptation, and post-production, as well as the challenges of tight timelines, particularly with the rise of streaming services demanding simultaneous releases in multiple languages.
The Deluxe executive also highlights the technical challenges associated with distributing large, uncompressed master files, especially for major Hollywood studios. He underscores the critical role of automation in managing the workflow and ensuring timely delivery of content.
Chris shares how Deluxe plans to use AppTekâs expertise in language AI to enhance the quality and efficiency of dubbing workflows, while maintaining the artistic integrity and emotional resonance of the original content.
Chris also touches upon the recent agreement by SAG-AFTRA and its implications for voice actors' rights and compensation in the era of AI dubbing.
While there is an increasing amount of AI tools for lip-syncing and dubbing, Chris emphasizes the continued importance of human voice actors for conveying emotion and nuance.
Looking ahead, Deluxe is focused on integrating tools more securely, improving dubbing workflows, and exploring hyper-localization to cater to different languages and dialects. -
Jordan Evans, the CEO of Language Network, joins SlatorPod to talk about the evolution of his family-founded language service provider (LSP) and his sales-focused growth strategy.
Jordan's professional trajectory began with a blend of sales, tech startups, and a stint as a linguist and translator, before acquiring Language Network and achieving significant growth.
Regarding growth strategies, Jordan discusses the challenges and benefits of acquisitions, emphasizing the importance of finding the right fit and maintaining stability during integration. He advises starting with acquisitions within one's core expertise before branching out into new areas.
The conversation shifts to sales and marketing in the language industry, with Jordan highlighting the need to cut through the noise and engage customers effectively, whether through traditional methods like cold calling or newer digital channels.
When it comes to the role of AI in language services, Jordan advocates for adopting off-the-shelf technologies to meet customer needs efficiently while allowing for scalability and adaptability.
The CEO attributes the growth of interpreting in the US to increased awareness of language accessibility issues and funding initiatives, especially in sectors like healthcare and immigration.
Jordan advises that LSPs should capitalize on their unique strengths and niches, enabling them to differentiate themselves from larger competitors and maximize value for clients. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with Head of Research Anna Wyndham joining to give a breakdown of the 2024 Slator Language AI 50 Under 50, a list highlighting 50 of the newest and most notable language AI companies.
The list focuses on 50 language AI companies under 50 months old, showcasing their innovations in speech-to-text, machine translation, speech synthesis, and more.
Esther talks about Disney's Accelerator Program, which invested in two language AI startups: ElevenLabs and AudioShake. AudioShake uses AI to parse audio tracks for mixing or dubbing and ElevenLabs, a multilingual AI voice startup, recently raised USD 80m.
Florian mentions AnthropicAI's new language model, Claude 3 Opus, and shared a user's experience testing it for translating a low-resource language (Circassian) with impressive results. (note: a few hours after the podcast production was finished, the user gave an update that the model was trained on Circassian).
Florian briefly touches on Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, with translation getting a shoutout as a key early use case for large language models.
Esther provides an overview of Honyaku Center's financial results for Q3 2024, where overall revenues saw a 3% growth and translation remained the primary revenue driver.
Esther shares news about recent layoffs at Sega of America, affecting 61 temp workers from quality assurance and localization. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with Women in Localization opening a new chapter in Switzerland and SlatorCon coming to Silicon Valley on September 5th.
Florian shares insights from RWSâ Annual General Meeting, where under the new leadership of Chairman Julie Southern, the language service provider (LSP) highlighted its resilience amid global uncertainty.
Esther gives an overview of the financial results for AMN Language Services and Ai-Media, with the former reporting strong performance for its language services and the latter attributing its revenue increase to an ongoing shift to its SaaS offering.
Versacom, a prominent Canadian LSP, announces a minority investment from Norea Capital, with plans to focus on AI-enhanced solutions. Meanwhile, an investment banking industry insider revealed Iyuno may go public, targeting a valuation range between USD 2.25 bn and USD 3 bn.
Over in the US, Boostlingo recorded a 60% year-over-year increase in annual recurring revenue in 2023, highlighting the thriving demand for interpreting services.
The podcast concludes with the recent launch of Green Terp Unveils GT Enhancer, a tool designed to assist human interpreters by removing background noises such as dog barks and baby cries. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week with a first look at the newly released 2024 Slator Language Service Provider Index (LSPI) where they unpack the key findings from over 250 LSPs on the ranking.
Leading the 2024 LSPI is Super Agency TransPerfect, who recently appointed Jin Lee as the new Co-CEO. Lee began as a project manager at the Super Agency before working through various production roles and rising through the ranks.
Slator recently launched the first edition of its Language AI Briefing, a summary of the top AI stories, language AI startups, and notable AI developments. One such story covered real-time multilingual lip-sync provider Sync Labsâ open-source which shows users how to deploy and monetize their own lip-sync applications in a couple of hours.
In M&A news, 2024 began strong with French LSP Powerling acquiring troubled WCS Group which recently filed for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, Belgium-based Jonckers and US-based Acclaro have merged, becoming a cross-Atlantic Leader LSP.
In Israel, BLEND has bought local rival Manpower Language Solutions, citing a growing global interest in the Israeli market. -
In the landmark 200th episode of the SlatorPod, we are joined by Anja Jones, Managing Director of AJT, to talk about the language service providerâs (LSPâs) journey to becoming a B Corp, a certification for businesses balancing profit with social and environmental responsibility.
Anja touches upon the impact of large language models (LLMs), expressing concerns about ethical implications, copyright issues, and the environmental footprint associated with LLMs. She also discusses how a focus on the intricacies of European culture became their USP.
When it comes to using AI in translation, Anja highlights that certain content types, such as marketing texts and transcreation, are still best handled by human translators due to the need for creativity and cultural sensitivity.
The podcast shifts towards the need for regulation in the language AI industry. Anja points out the ethical implications of AI-generated content, particularly in scenarios like voice synthesis and deep fake technologies.
Anja also talks about winning the 2023 ATC Ethical Business award, attributing it to their commitment to fair pay, transparent communication, and creating opportunities for new translators.
Anja shares the LSP's plans for 2024, which include focusing on collaborations with value-aligned businesses, including sustainable fashion brands and companies leveraging AI for personalized Google Ads. -
In this weekâs SlatorPod, we are joined by Bart Maczynski, the VP of Machine Learning at Language Weaver, the translation tech brand of Super Agency RWS, to talk about the challenges and advancements in enterprise-grade machine translation (MT).
The discussion delves into the distinctions between enterprise and consumer-grade MT, with challenges including data security, scalability, adaptability, user experience, and risk mitigation.
Bart touches on the impact of large language models (LLMs) on the landscape, noting potential risks, such as deceptive fluency, and the need for control in enterprise settings.
The VP discusses the recent launch of Evolve, an automated post-editing solution that combines auto-adaptive neural MT, machine translation quality estimation, and a secure, private LLM.
Bart talks about the evolving landscape of language AI and the integration of MT into broader workflows, driven by innovations in orchestration and automation platforms.
Bart shares insights into the future plans of Language Weaver, with a primary focus on bringing Evolve to the market and broadening its applications, supporting more languages, and exploring improvements and adaptations in various components. -
John Tinsley, the VP of AI Solutions at language AI agency Translated, joins SlatorPod to talk about the challenges, advancements, and future directions of AI in the language industry.
John shares his journey from founding machine translation (MT) pioneer ICONIC, selling it during the height of the pandemic to RWS, and now his current role focusing on connecting technology and capabilities with customer needs at Translated.
He touches on the challenges of managing the noise around AI and the excitement and potential of generative AI, particularly in the context of language. He discusses the impact of large language models on translation and the challenges of multilingual content generation.
John mentions the importance of having the right data for AI and highlights a new product initiative called Human-in-the-Loop. This initiative focuses on automating the process of improving MT by constantly fine-tuning it based on user feedback and human data.
He also explores the dynamic landscape of innovation in the AI field, discussing the sources of innovation, the role of big tech companies, and the challenges of keeping up with the rapidly evolving research landscape.
Looking ahead, John underscores the importance of ensuring enterprise readiness in MT, considering factors beyond just good output, such as fitting into existing workflows, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with Super Early Bird ending soon for SlatorCon Remote March and a save-the-date announcement for SlatorCon London, scheduled in person for May 23, 2024.
Florian talks about how translation GPTs are becoming increasingly available on OpenAIâs GPT store, highlighting the ease of building these models and the payment model for creators.
The duo touches on the topic of AI-generated lip-synced translations, using the example of a machine-translated speech by Argentinaâs new president at the World Economic Forum and debating its ethical implications.
Estherâs M&A and funding corner features the acquisition of Systran by ChapsVision, the sale of Balthasar Ltd. to Translate.One, and the USD 18 million Series B funding round by Contents.com. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with OpenAI recently launching its GPT store, allowing users to create their own GPT chat interfaces without the need for coding.
One move that underscores OpenAI's influence in the language space is Albania's consideration of using ChatGPT for translating documents related to its EU accession bid. Duolingo is also reported to be laying off human translators in favor of relying more on AI for content curation and translation, which has seen significant user backlash.
The duo talk about the challenges publicly traded LSPs faced in 2023, with none outperforming the MSCI world average. LSP stocks, including Honyaku Center, RWS, and Appen, experienced significant declines, while Duolingo's stock doubled despite its shift to AI.
Esther covered key mergers and acquisitions in 2023. Lastly, the podcast highlighted leadership changes at Argos Multilingual, with Alexander Ulichnowski taking over as CEO and Joanna Weitz promoted to COO. -
Vasco Pedro, Co-founder and CEO of language operations platform Unbabel, joins SlatorPod to talk about the transformative year of 2023 and its impact on the language technology landscape.
Vasco discusses the AI boom in 2023, emphasizing the importance of recognizing AI as what he calls a cognitive prosthetic rather than a human replacement. He highlights the need for a new pricing model in translation and localization that accommodates AI solutions and allows for transparency, predictability, and agency for LangOps professionals.
Touching on multilingual content generation, Vasco believes that while AI is making content creation easier, there is still a gap in quality between content creation and translation.
Vasco emphasizes the importance of owning the entire value chain and reducing the complexity of translation processes to provide efficient solutions. He touches on some of Unbabel's features, including UnbabelMT for comparing machine translation options.
The CEO outlines Unbabel's strategic acquisitions of EVS and Bablic, with the goal of expanding into new markets, acquiring clients, and integrating Unbabel's technology effectively.
Vasco talks about taking part in the AI consortium in Portugal's Recovery and Resilience Plan, and how Unbabel is involved in projects such as Project Halo, which aims to develop a brain-to-computer interface for text-based communication with practical implications for conditions like ALS.
When looking towards the future, Vasco emphasizes the importance of focusing on growth and continually improving the product's quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with the release of Slatorâs Pro Guide: Solution Sales for Language Service Providers and more exciting research to come.
The duo talk about the latest in language AI, with OpenAI gaining traction as a potential default for machine translation, and the firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman. Meanwhile, the European Patent Office has denied Google's patent application for neural machine translation.
The podcast explores the emergence of speech translation as a key focus for major technology companies, with Google launching Translatotron 3 and Gemini, while Meta introduces Seamless.
Over in Europe, the EU Parliament announced an open competition for the recruitment of intercultural and language professionals. Paris invests EUR 2m on a speech-to-speech translation app called Tradivia to assist communications during the 2024 Olympics.
Meanwhile, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to release an RFP for language services worth an estimated USD 100m.
In M&A news, Esther covers notable deals, including Cloudbreak Health's sale to GTCR for USD 180m, ElaNâs acquisition of AVB Vertalingen, TransPerfect's purchase of WordBee, and XTM's acquisition of Rigi. -
Jonas Ryberg, Chief Globalization Officer of Centific, joins SlatorPod to talk about the evolving language services landscape and Centific's approach to navigating the changes brought about by generative AI and large language models (LLMs).
Jonas looks back on the opportunities and challenges of 2023, with the impact of ChatGPT triggering clients, who are facing budget constraints, to redefine translation quality metrics and optimize processes.
Jonas sheds light on Centific's proprietary platform, Honeybee, an accelerator that integrates into clients' localization workflows through APIs. This platform harnesses generative AI to streamline processes such as content creation, assessment of style, and even provides a bot for translators to interact with instead of navigating through style guides.
Jonas explores the growing trend of multilingual content generation with the advent of LLMs. He believes while the output from LLMs is promising, there is still a need for human expertise to review and refine the generated content.
Looking ahead to 2024, Jonas reveals Centific's plan to bring Honeybee and JourneyMate, a customer experience tracking platform, into a SaaS-based platform, targeting both individual users with lower-cost access and custom enterprise clients. -
Diego Antista, Co-Founder and CEO of GetGloby, joins SlatorPod to talk about the complexity of translating and transcreating digital ad campaigns.
Diego shares a pivotal moment when he discovered that the cost of translating campaigns for multicultural audiences was a significant barrier for advertisers, leading to the creation of GetGloby with fellow former Googler, Juan Fusoni.
Diego shares insights into the advertising industry, such as the role of agencies in global campaigns and the metrics advertisers prioritize to measure campaign success.
Diego sheds light on the challenges of localizing keywords, particularly in languages with character limitations, and discusses how GetGloby addresses the need for consistent brand voice across various languages.
Diego discusses the platform's current target segment, primarily large clients and global agencies, and outlines their plans to launch an online product for smaller advertisers.
Diego explores the tech stack behind GetGloby, focusing on the use of AI, machine translation, and the development of their proprietary model called Jaga. He also highlights the importance of incorporating native reviewers for certain clients, especially in the luxury brand sector.
Looking ahead, Diego shares how clients will soon be able to activate a new campaign for a flat fee of 10 dollars per month, with a credit-based model replacing the traditional cost-per-word approach. -
Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with the release of Slatorâs new Pro Guide: Scaling an LSP Key Account.
The duo analyzed the job requirements and responsibilities for an AI Localization Analyst at Chubb, an insurance company.
Florian discusses when he, for the first time, realized he briefly fell for a third-party-created video. A speech by Joana Cotar, a member of Germanyâs lower house of parliament, was translated and lip-synced into English using AI.
Far from being critical of her voice being cloned and her speech being machine translated without any edits, Cotar gushed about how âwonderfulâ it is that her speeches are now accessible in âEnglish, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Indonesian, and even Chineseâ.
Florian touches on a study by Microsoft Azure researchers evaluating the performance of GPT-4 in post-editing machine translation.
Esther provides updates on recent M&A and funding activities in the language industry. difuze, a Canadian media localization company, acquired WANTED!, a post-production studio, while The Translation People secured GBP 10.5 million in debt financing. Additionally, she gives a mixed financial update on ZOO Digital, Ai-Media, and AMN Healthcare.
Florian concludes the episode by discussing OpenAI's release of GPT capabilities for customization. He shares his experience building a chatbot using the new feature and emphasizes the potential for creating customized language models for niche applications. -
Gabriel Fairman, Founder and CEO of Bureau Works, joins SlatorPod to talk about the potential of generative AI in translation management.
Gabriel shares the origin story of Bureau Works, where over the years his perspective shifted towards viewing translation as an information management challenge, leading Bureau Works to transition into a tech-enabled business.
Gabriel discusses the challenges and opportunities presented by large language models, touching on issues of cost, workflow integration, and the potential for a more interactive and fluid translator-computer relationship.
Gabriel rejects the idea of comparing language models like GPT to human translators, viewing them as aids to improve the human experience rather than alternatives.
Gabriel Fairman explains the flexibility of Bureau Works' UI, which aims to optimize productivity and a sense of authorship, in contrast to the repetitive and frustrating nature of traditional machine translation post-editing.
BWX is concentrating on simplification in 2024, introducing features like the learning terms tool, and aiming to integrate translation seamlessly into various tools and simplify project creation and management. -
Pablo Navascués, Managing Director of global content and SEO agency Key Content, joins SlatorPod to discuss the impact of generative AI on content creation and SEO.
Pablo explains how content strategy and SEO strategy have become more interconnected, emphasizing the need for high-quality, user-oriented content. He acknowledges that AI can be valuable for scaling content production. However, he highlights the need for human expertise in certain cases, as AI-generated content may not always meet quality and accuracy standards.
When it comes to Google's approach to ranking AI-generated content, Pablo suggests that Google values content based on how helpful it is to users rather than focusing on whether it is created by humans or AI.
Pablo talks about the challenges of prompt engineering in working with large language models and how it can be utilized for A/B testing and data analysis.
He shares insights from their research on AI content tools, which revealed that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and different tools perform better depending on the type of content, audience, and language.
Pablo predicts that content workflows will become more sophisticated and personalized, and the role of content strategists within organizations will become more critical. - Laat meer zien
