Report from the GALA Town Hall on AI in 2023

The GALA community gathered at the beginning of December to reflect on “the year of AI,” to discuss how it actually impacted the global language industry, and to look ahead to what 2024 may have in store. The discussion was moderated by GALA board member Dave Ruane who was joined by Britta Aagaard and Jose Palomares (also GALA board members) who represented the supplier and enterprise perspectives, respectively.

GALA Members can access the Town Hall recording here (make sure to log in).  

Part 1: What We Learned in 2023

It’s fair to say that AI was not the life-changing, earth-shaking innovation it was promised to be at the beginning of the year, but it did make an impact. Jose’s team at Coupa Software now uses AI-enabled tech daily, mainly as a personal productivity tool for tasks like ideation and summarization, but they also use it for certain pre-translation tasks such as adapting staff-written copy for different personas, and in audiovisual localization use-cases like automatic captioning and transcriptions. One use case they’re not using it for? Translation. In its current state, AI is a multipurpose tool and unlike NMT which was built-for-purpose, it simply can’t deliver the quality at scale that Coupa needs. (Yet.)

More and more clients are asking Britta about AI-enabled technologies, and she sees a tremendous opportunity for language industry professionals to be consultants, helping their clients navigate their AI journey. After all, the global language industry has a huge head start with their understanding of large language models and other elements of machine learning. By and large, Britta sees clients misunderstanding what AI can do. She says suppliers can help clients understand the complexity of multilingual content, help them see the importance of linguistic data and recognize language as a strategic asset, and advise them on optimization of workflows and processes leveraging AI-enabled tech.

(There was a consensus that if a company does nothing else at this moment, they should at least get their data house in order. Data governance is of critical importance: clients should structure their data, make it accessible and consumable by machines, and do it now.)

The AI zeitgeist has a lot of people feeling FOMO (fear of missing out) but there is wisdom in taking a measured, strategic approach to adoption. Sure, some large companies have the resources and agility to build and test every great idea, but that’s rare. Companies like Coupa need to monitor developments, lay their foundations (such as getting data and policies in order), continue learning, and understand where they can position themselves for the best advantage when they have the resources to do so. If you haven’t started on your AI journey, don’t fret, but do start learning and planning.

Part 2: Survey Review

In November, GALA conducted a “quick take” survey to try and learn how people and companies are using AI-enabled technologies at work. Download the full survey report here.

Download the Survey Report

Part 3: Looking Ahead to 2024

Expect a continuation of the hype in 2024 with maybe a bit less enthusiasm. As people discover what AI can reliably deliver, they may focus on smaller and more specific use-cases. Surely, we’ll see more disruptions from the big players like OpenAI, but in general we expect to see a settling in and a catching up.

The disruption to the localization business has begun and it’s only getting started. In many ways, changes that the language industry has wished for forever now seem possible, such as moving away from a transactional, commoditized business model to one of expert consulting and advising. Language is beginning to be understood as a key component of business and this is supported by movements for accessibility and inclusion around the globe. Language industry professionals on the supply and demand side have a chance to position themselves as strategists, consultants, and facilitators, defining what matters most, designing smart workflows and processes, and leveraging AI-enabled tools to their best advantage.

Naturally, this will require continuous learning by the humans-in-the-loop as well as some foresight. But our panel agreed: there has never been another time in this industry where its stakeholders have had such a tremendous opportunity to shape the future.