1 october 2024
Webinar Recap: How AI and Human Interpreters Are Changing Communication
Acolad's recent webinar, "Live Communication: Where Human Meets AI", explored the evolving landscape of interpreting services, showcasing how technology and AI are making multilingual communication more accessible and efficient. The key takeaway? It's not about AI replacing humans, but about the two working together to make communication smoother and more inclusive than ever before. Discover the insights and use cases shared by our experts.
Last week we hosted a webinar exploring the transformative impact of AI and technology on interpreting services. The 35-minute session, titled "Live Communication: Where Human Meets AI," featured expert insights from Giulia Silvestrini, Head of Interpreting Solutions, Oliver Hall, UK Interpreting Department Manager, and Adam Goldman, US Business Development, moderated by Nancy Hähnel, General Manager for the Netherlands.
The webinar showcased how the convergence of human expertise and AI-powered tools is enhancing effective and inclusive multilingual communication across various settings, including technical trainings, product presentations, and call centers. Our experts highlighted the shift from primarily on-site interpreting to increasingly remote, hybrid, and AI-enhanced solutions.
As usual, in our live events, we provided live interpreting for Europe and North America attendees, surprising our guests with an AI live French interpreter.
Where Human Meets AI
The webinar emphasized a "fit-for-purpose" approach, highlighting the complementary roles of human interpreters and AI. While AI excels in specific use cases, human interpreters remain crucial for nuanced communication requiring cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence, particularly in sectors like healthcare and national security.
Interpreting technologies’ evolution was detailed, emphasizing the growth of Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI), Live Captioning, and AI Interpreting, also how user-friendly features like QR codes are making these services more accessible and inclusive.
"The evolution of interpreting solutions isn't just about technology; it's about accessibility and inclusion. By seamlessly blending human expertise with AI and remote technologies, we're breaking down language barriers and empowering global communication in unprecedented ways", emphasized Giulia Silvestrini.
Multilingual Communication Made Simple
Oliver Hall presented compelling case studies demonstrating the practical applications of AI in both small internal meetings and larger events. Our UK Interpreting Department Manager illustrated how AI interpreting can cost-effectively address last-minute language needs and improve accessibility for diverse audiences, particularly beneficial for organizations with global teams or frequent multilingual communication requirements. He also touched on the future of AI interpreting, noting advancements in large language models (LLMs) and voice synthesis technology.
"Our clients face unique challenges, from scheduling last-minute interpreters for large events to ensuring consistent communication in smaller, daily internal meetings. AI-powered solutions, integrated strategically with human interpreters, offer scalable and cost-effective options, dramatically increasing efficiency and inclusion", shared Oliver Hall
Real-World Success
Adam Goldman shared a success story with Cargill, a multinational corporation, showcasing how our on-demand spoken and sign language interpreting platform improved communication, reduced costs, and fostered a more inclusive work environment for their 160,000 employees across 70 countries. The platform addressed challenges in providing timely and accurate communication in multiple languages, including sign language for deaf and hard-of-hearing employees.
"Cargill's experience highlights the tangible ROI of integrating on-demand interpretation services. By providing immediate access to professional interpreters, including sign language interpreters, we've not only reduced costs but significantly improved employee engagement, safety, and overall inclusivity across a truly global workforce."
AI and Humans Working Together
"This webinar demonstrates how a fit-for-purpose approach to interpretation, combining human expertise with AI and the right technology, yields transformative results. We're not replacing human interpreters; we're augmenting their capabilities, creating a more efficient, accessible, and inclusive global communication landscape", added Nancy Hähnel.
The session concluded with a Q&A, addressing audience questions about AI accuracy, ethical considerations, data security, and the future of the interpreting profession in the age of AI. The overall message underscored the potential of AI to enhance – not replace – human interpreting, creating more efficient, accessible, and inclusive communication worldwide.
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