Interculturality and AI Dominate Localization Pro's Concerns
Óscar Curros
Director de Interkultural ǀ Periodista independiente ǀ Traductor autónomo de inglés y portugués a español y gallego ǀ Revisor de textos ǀ Contacto: oscarcurrosinterkultural@gmail.com / +34 636 60 40 31
Microsoft 's ChatGPT 's ubiquitous nowadays.
It's turned into an unavoidable nightmare for language professionals because of its AI core, which is able to learn from large language models (LLMs) at amazing speed.
Its powerful engine allows it to emulate many tasks that were exclusive to humans just a few decades ago, such as translating, summarizing, or even writing texts.
During our virtual LocLunch™ Compostela 4, hosted online on April 21, 2023, locpros discussed whether AI will substitute human linguists anytime soon or not.
Although AI is a quantum leap in language processing, most of our colleagues still believe humans are much more capable of dealing with intercultural nuances than machines.
Let's review some of our guests' thoughts on this issue.
The founder of The Localization Advocate and LocLunch™ is a strong defender of a human approach to dealing with technology.
She leads the Localization Advocate Academy, an online platform where specialists in tech and soft skills share their know-how.
Regarding AI, Marina recommends Stefan Huyghe 's newsletter AI in loc.
For those searching for jobs, Marina has published a talk with localization recruiter Veronika Gonzalez . Find out her top job search tips.
Marina is also the LocLunch™ San Diego ambassador. Today we'll host a joint session with LocLunch Compostela. Join us to talk about everything localization.
The founder of LocLunch™ joined us on the go from Portugal.
He told us why he found this network.
Living in Spain, he realized how important it is to spend time with people when having a business lunch together.
This contrasts with the American way of holding 14-minute meetings.
For Jan, the time invested in talking and exchanging life experiences is precious. This spirit of meeting people in an open, friendly atmosphere is what inspires the LocLunch™ community initiative.
That's something a heartless machine just can't feel.
An Argentinian living in Spain, Ornela works as a recruiter at Pampa Talents .
You'll have the opportunity to meet her during LocLunch™ Compostela 6, to be held exclusively in person on Friday, June 13th. Learn more and join us.
Ornela says cultural awareness is key for communication.
She told us about an argument she had with someone on Facebook .
Ornela used an Argentinian expression and a person said it was bad Spanish. Other people joined the discussion to say they had heard that expression and it was right.
This is an example of how culture and human perceptions matter.
Daniel is from Bogotá, Colombia, and works as a business development representative at Lingoport, a software development company headquartered in Colorado, USA.
He quoted Nimdzi Insights ' latest research about quality to raise awareness about the processes of quality assurance in localization services.
He illustrated his point with a couple of examples.
In the financial market, any mistake when localizing credit card stuff may have fatal consequences.
In the case of a patent, a tiny mistake can hinder it.
It looks like human revisors are still very much needed in localization processes.
Recommended by LinkedIn
A Brazilian living in Seattle, USA, Jonas is a localization specialist and educator.
Jonas said that some terms in our industry may be difficult to general audiences. They don't usually understand the differences between 'globalization,' 'internationalization,' and 'localization,' for instance.
Even some colleagues working in localization may need an educational update to better understand their roles and responsibilities.
To serve these pros, the University of Washington offers a Certificate in Localization. Its focus is on customizing software: adapting technology products for global markets.
Jonas compared mastering localization tech with learning how to drive: once you know how to do it, you can use any car. In the same way, once you know the basics of localization technology, you can use any platform.
He warned that being bilingual doesn’t make you a loc pro. He added that using AI without human revision poses high risks for organizations since fixing errors is even more costly than revising.
A human touch is necessary to correctly communicate cultural nuances. For example, the word "susto," in Mexican Spanish, may mean either "being scared" or a medical condition, depending of the context.
“Language is culture,” he reminded us.
Also from Brazil, she currently lives in Knoxville, USA.
Ayumy is an English/Japanese to Portuguese translator.
She told us that localizing informal messages, such as conversations about video games, may be challenging.
Sometimes a word choice may mean people from a specific region may get upset (they may prefer to use a different word).
A freelance English < > Spanish translator, proofreader, and localizer from Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Her main projects lately have been editing content in Spanish or working with English-speaking customers learning Spanish.
A localization producer from Marina del Rey, USA, Erica is looking for her "next thing.”
She says we may all be cultural ambassadors, bringing a perspective of localization beyond just language.
"There are so many cultural factors, so many aspects to change, so many conversations we can participate in," she said.
For Erica, the challenge is to keep the brand message intact but make all necessary changes, such as legal stuff: "What's illegal in another country? Take care with anything that may get the client sued."
She also spoke about the importance of setting and following a code of ethics, a very human task.
A freelance professional from the USA who wants to transition into full-time dedication, Katie translates from French and Italian into English.
She participated in our LocLunch™ with questions about the market that she'll find when she finishes college.
Fortunately for Katie, there are still many vacancies for human locpros in the localization industry.
* * * * *
That's all from us about LocLunch Compostela 4.
There'll be a new online edition on May 26th.
Join us for LocLunch™ Compostela 5 + LocLunch™ San Diego. Learn more.
Please leave your thoughts about AI and the future of human locpros in the comments below.
Casting Director. Voice Director. Producer. Creator. Head of Zunzun Entertainment: Animation. VO. Original voices. Localization. Dubbing production. English Spanish French. High quality, 100% human. Voice actress. Artist
1yI’d love to join next time? :) well… if the time zone allows :)
Localisation Head at VMC- Transcreation and Localisation Company, Ambassador India at LocLunch™, Membership Manager - Women in Localization, India Chapter
1yThis is such a fantastic read especially because it fuses different perspectives together and gives us clarity in thought and action. Also, the diverse backgrounds that all attendees come from sheds light on varied challenges, problems, solutions and line of thoughts that is indeed a thing to ponder upon. Happy to be part of the LocLunch™ team and even happier to touch base with such a fab bunch. Thank you Óscar Curros. I am hoping to spread this wave and culture in India in the near future
Arabic Linguist & Localizer (LL.B)(B.A.) | Founder @transarabizers | Nimdzi L10n Influencer | Arabic SEO | Arabic UI/UX | Arabic AI | Arabic NLP | Arabic Legal Linguist | Wanna Expand to the Arab Market? Let's Connect!
1yMe too, I'm sorry I've missed this.
Sworn Translator
1yI'm sorry I wasn't able to join today, Óscar Curros but something came up 😔