Localization Today

Why is the gaming industry pushing back against AI translation while the rest of the tech world rushes to adopt it? This week on LocToday, game localization expert Tamara Tirják joins the show to unpack the fierce competition and high stakes of the video game market. She explains why cutting the localization budget to save "peanuts" on a massive production is a terrible business decision that immediately alienates players. We also dive into the exciting return of the Game Global event in Vancouver, the crucial alignment needed between creative developers and commercial publishers, and why true "culturalization" requires a human touch that machines simply cannot replicate.

Reframing translation and interpreting in the AI era By Hammouda Salhi The AI era of translation, interpretation, and language work has many wondering if human linguists will become obsolete. But is that the right framing? Hammouda Salhi argues that professional value is shifting, and the industry must adapt alongside it.

By Sasha Fedorova, Florian Jaton, and Dmitrii Shevchuk AI is hyped as a force that will revolutionize the future. But the future isn’t here yet, and in the meantime, many argue the conversation surrounding the technology has been defined by reductionism and thought-terminating cliches.

By Beatrice de Salles The skills a professional learns through interpretation aren’t just useful for language work. On the contrary, interpretation teaches skills that align perfectly with the demands of international leadership.

Interview by Cameron Rasmusson Healthcare is a field where there’s no room for error in interpretation. In that challenging environment, Linguava has distinguished itself by not just supplying language service but also delivering it with an attention to nuance, detail, and compassionate communication that puts both medical professionals and patients at ease.

By Yussuf Hussein Too often, languages with their own unique history, mechanics, and culture get lumped in with a more widely used tongue that is similar but distinct. When that happens, it’s the client who loses.

By Claudio Fantinuoli New technology always introduces a period of uncertainty. As AI integrates itself deeper into our lives and personal devices, its ultimate impact on the language industry remains unclear. But perhaps technological changes of the past can provide some insights.

Why the next phase of global content requires more than better promptsBy Agustín Da Fieno Delucchi While LLMs are a remarkable technology, they have a serious limitation: no persistent model of the world. That’s an architectural issue, not a procedural one. So what can be done to address it?

By Carol Velandia A right doesn’t have to be legally repealed to be lost forever; all it takes is a failure by the people to insist it is upheld. And when it comes to a person’s right to professional language access, many don’t know it exists in the first place.

The localization industry is undergoing a massive transformation, shifting its focus from simple language conversion to comprehensive content orchestration. In this new episode, Eddie Arrieta sits down with Allison Ferch, Executive Director at GALA, to discuss why the industry is "shifting left" and integrating deeply into product development and content creation layers. She unpacks the intense margin pressure facing freelance linguists and explains why true community is absolutely essential during these challenging times.

Leaders from across the gaming and localization industry come together to move beyond the debate over whether AI is simply “good” or “bad” for games. We will explore where AI can deliver real value in game localization, why generic AI tools often fall short, and what it takes to build technology around the unique worlds, characters, terminology, and creative intent of a game.

Last year, the localization industry was swept up in the sheer hype of AI disruption. This year, the focus has shifted from revolution to reality. In this episode Gabriel Karandyšovský, editor-in-chief of Argos Multilingual's Global Ambitions publication, provides an exclusive preview of their 2026 edition: Meaning Making. He discusses the industry's growing awareness of AI limitations, the pushback against "AI slop," and why organizations are finally asking the tough questions about ethics, risk management, digital sovereignty, and why the real differentiator over the next five years won't be the ability to produce words.

For many organizations, accessibility has traditionally been viewed as a compliance requirement—a box to check to meet regulations. But as digital experiences become more multilingual and AI-driven, accessibility is evolving into a strategic component of global inclusion. In this episode Viviana Bernabé, who leads interpreting and accessibility at WeLocalize, discusses the challenges of the industry's over-reliance on automated widgets and overlays, explaining why tools that only catch code-based errors fail to duplicate the experience of users relying on assistive tech. We explore why proper accessibility requires profound cultural nuance—from how regions treat disabilities to their preferences for captions versus dubbing.

How do we build a system that works not only for large organizations but also for the independent interpreters and small language service providers that communities depend on every day? In this episode, we sit down with Marisa Gillio, founder and CEO of Language Link Corporation and the visionary behind Interpreting Works. Marisa argues that language access is an ecosystem challenge. She explores how small LSPs and independent interpreters can leverage collaborative technology to compete with massive corporate language providers without losing their autonomy or connection to the community.

An everything everywhere all at oncebusiness modelBy Viveta Gene and Rodrigo Fuentes Corradi Given the complexity of AI systems, it can be a struggle to ensure that systemic visibility, transparency, and information availability are readily accessible. But Knowledge Graphs provide a true everything everywhere all at once solution, linking the connective elements inany project.

By Mimi Moore Blending her experience as a high-level athlete with executive expertise, Mariana Quintanilla manages complex language operations for international tournaments. She builds essential communication frameworks that connect athletes, officials, and fans across the world’s biggest stages.

Interpreting at the speed of the GulfBy Matteo Ippoliti Providing language services for high-stakes sporting events in Asia, like the AFC Champions League and Games of the Future, which took place in Jeddah and Abu Dhabi, respectively, requires human skill, local expertise, and rapid adaptability under intense, constant pressure.

By Dhiraj Aggarwal The Indian sports streaming scene is booming. India’s many languages and cultures mean that translation and localization are non-negotiable for success in this sector. But just how is this done? This article lays out the landscape and explores some strategies that have worked.

By Mimi Moore The Olympic Games are one of the largest multilingual communication operations on earth. The author offers a perspective that most spectators never see, with insights from Leandro Colautti, Language Services Senior Manager for the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, and Alexandre Ponomarev, the Games’ Chief Interpreter.

A conference interpreter invites his replacement to dinnerBy Ewandro Magalhães It’s the question on every interpreter’s mind: Is AI going to take my job? Well, why not sit down to dinner with Anthropic’s large language model Claude and ask it face-to-interface?