Localization Today

By Carol Velandia

Language access, which is a civil right, cannot be fully automated by AI, especially in high-stakes situations like legal or medical settings. Human professionals are indispensable because they provide judgment, cultural leadership, agility, and governance and manage the complexity, trauma, and ethical responsibility that AI cannot handle.

Language access is a fundamental humanitarian and social justice issue. In 2026, Tarjimly integrated with CLEAR Global to strengthen their shared mission of ensuring people can access critical information in languages they understand.

In this episode, we sit down with Aimee Ansari and Chenge Maruziva to discuss how this integration brings together Tarjimly’s real-time interpretation mobile platform with CLEAR Global’s deep expertise in translation and voice data. We explore what it means to combine a community of over 200,000 volunteers across the social impact sector. 

What happens when localization is no longer treated as a support function, but as a driver of growth?

In this episode of Localization Today, Matt Grotenstein (VP of North America at GTE Localize) reflects on how the industry is shifting under the pressure of AI, changing buyer expectations, and new go-to-market realities. From moving away from traditional sales toward conversation-led relationships, to rethinking localization as an operating system for global expansion, this conversation explores what’s actually changing—and what isn’t—in how companies scale across markets.

How TAUS has evolved over two decades in pursuit of one vision
By Jaap van der Meer and Anne-Maj van der Meer

Since 2004, TAUS has played many roles in the language industry. Driving all of its changes has been a mission of transforming translation from an exclusive service into an ordinary infrastructure feature. This article recounts how the organization adapted to meet the needs of a complex industry and concludes by presenting its next step towards achieving its founding vision.

Replacing volume with value in a human-centered workflow
By Gabriela Kouahla

With AI fueling unprecedented content growth, the impulse to translate it all is understandable. Localized minimalism — a concept that draws inspiration from minimalism movements but adapts them to the linguistic and ethical context — can help vendors, project managers, and brands replace volume with value.

How to move beyond error rates and focus on value
By Cody Connell

When industry-standard metrics indicated high localization quality and yet his client expressed frustration and dissatisfaction, the author developed a more nuanced method of measuring localization quality — one that included user experience and stakeholder confidence along with linguistic accuracy.

By Ewandro Magalhães

“Influence” is broader than metrics, encompassing natural forces, intellectual authority, and procedural changes. The author traces the word’s meaning from its Latin origin (influentia, a flowing in) and cosmological roots to its modern, monetized definition as “influencer.”

Major international summits like COP30 are often described as temporary cities, requiring massive logistical coordination to keep global negotiations moving. But behind the scenes, there is a critical and often invisible infrastructure: interpreting.

In this episode, we sit down with Giulia Silvestrini, Head of Global Interpreting at Acolad, to discuss what it takes to oversee interpreting operations at one of the world’s most complex events and how AI is currently being used to expand language access without replacing the irreplaceable nuance of human experts.

The rise of AI interpreting solutions presents a massive opportunity for global language access, but it also introduces unprecedented risks. In this episode, we are joined by experts from the SAFE AI Task Force and COSET (Coalition for Sign Language Equity in Technology) to break down their newly launched AI Interpreting Solutions Evaluation Toolkit.

This conversation moves past the hype to offer a practical framework for responsible AI adoption. Our panel discusses how to assess organizational readiness, spot critical gaps in vendor demos, and ensure compliance for both spoken and signed languages.

An ASL version is also available on YouTube.

We welcome Belén Agulló and Marina Pantcheva to discuss the origin and core mission of the AI Localization Think Tank. Born out of a need for independent, agenda-free discussions, this volunteer-led group aims to break down information silos between freelancers, suppliers, and buyers.

Belen and Marina also break down what to expect at the first-ever AI ThoughtCon taking place from March 30 through April 1.