There’s no doubt about it; we’re living in an AI world. It’s like ChatGPT came along and took the world by storm. Thing is, when it comes to leveraging translation & localization technology, we thought about looking at what we do here at GTH. After all, translation and localization is our bread and butter, and we use the latest technology to ensure we’ve done the best job at translating and localizing your messaging. But to what extent do we rely on the latest localization technologies?

To answer that for you, we thought we’d do a Q&A with one of GTH’s oldest employees, Ildiko Tamahkyarova. I have to also say that it’s at this point I’m getting a blank stare from Ildiko.

“I was referring to how long you’ve been with us, not your age”!

It doesn’t matter what I say at this point, so I think I’ll get right into this Q&A article.

“So, Ildiko, over the years, how has GTH adapted to the increased reliance on using tech when it comes to carrying out localization work for our clients?”

As you rightly pointed out, I’ve been here for quite a few years now and in that time I’ve seen us adapt and adopt a host of new translation and localization technologies. As we work with every industry, we’ve seen the world has gotten a lot smaller since Covid.

“Is smaller better?”

Yes as it’s meant us having to localize a lot – more than ever, in fact. And to do this, we’ve been using technology. To be honest, without the use of technology, we wouldn’t have been in a position to keep up with the demand. It’s also really important for me to say that as a team, everyone keeps tabs on the latest industry trends and advancements. We’re all about speed here at GTH, and our clients have come to expect outstanding accurate localization work being delivered to them lightning fast! For this to happen, technology is needed.

“Can you shed some light on how GTH works with its clients?”

Sure! We work extremely closely with our clients and have done for years. The chief reason for this is that every client is different, and it’s not even industry related.

“What do you mean by that?”

Say we have taken on two new iGaming clients, these two clients might be targeting the same audience, but they want different things due to the regions they’re targeting. To adjust to the different demands of every client, we’ve had to create a series of localization strategies. It’s also important that I tell you that the goal behind every localization strategy is to better streamline its process and achieve its desired localization results. This is why we work very closely with our clients. After all, they know their brand, their partners and their customers better than we do.

So, knowing this, we believe that great collaboration and communication is essential to delivering ultra-high quality localization services. And this is where the introduction of technology comes into play, especially AI.

“What can you tell me about AI and its introduction into localization?”

Since everyone started to talk about ChatGPT, even our clients have been asking if we work with AI. The truth is, we do, and we’ve been working with various AI systems for longer than ChatGPT has been on the lips of everyone.

We use our own, internal AI tool which fuses AI as well as machine learning to improve our localization services. But even though we use these advanced systems, I think and believe the true value at GTH is that we never view ourselves as being above our station. Since the very beginning, we’ve been committed, humble, and approachable. This means that even though we rely a great deal on the latest tech, we still use the human element to ensure our localization services are exactly what our clients need.

“A few of our clients have asked if we use CAT tools. Do we, and what is a CAT tool?”

Good question! I think it is better for me to explain what a CAT tool is, so I will start with that. CAT is the acronym for Computer Assisted Translation. CAT tools have come on a lot since their first introduction, and they are good. A CAT tool we use allows us to manage terminology, store translation memories, and collaborate efficiently with our team members and clients.

But just like what I said earlier, we also recognize that there are some limitations to CAT tools. This is the key reason we continue and will always continue to use human expertise and supplement and leverage our skills with tech like a CAT tool. The intuition our experienced GTH staff has here is essential for producing the really high localization standards our clients expect from us.

“So, would you say it’s all about finding that balance?”

100%, and it always has been. Our clients come first. And I know that I might sound like a broken record, but without our clients, what is GTH? We’ve tried every localization and translation system available, including the latest CAT tools. We’re also added to various beta programs where we get to see the newest localization tech before it goes public. And even though we’ve used and continue to use them all, a balance needs to be struck where we continue to leverage technology alongside our experienced localization professionals. This formula works best when it comes to producing accurate and culturally appropriate translations. Remember, we’re not simply translating words. Localization goes far deeper than that. We’re translating context, nuance, and culture. AI can’t do that, at least not yet!

In fact, I’ve got quite a bit to say about it. Would you like me to go on?

“Definitely, but I think we’ll continue the rest of our conversation in part 2. So, look out for the second and final part of this really interesting discussion where we continue to look at leveraging the latest technology when it comes to delivering outstanding localization work!”

Before you head off to do whatever it is you’re going to do, check out the FREE Localization QA Audit we’re running right now. Read on.