Slator - Language Industry News

As 2024 comes to a close, it is time to reflect on the most popular stories, trends, innovations, and themes that made the Slator headlines throughout the year, highlighting key developments in the language industry. Here is a selection of stories that attracted the most attention and engagement from our readers around the world. Will Large Language Models Edge Linguists Out of the Language Industry? One of Slator’s  most-read stories in 2024  detailed a May 2024 paper from the  University of Zurich  and Georgetown University that explored the role of linguists in the evolving field of  machine translation  (MT). The entrance of  large language models  (LLMs) has reduced the reliance on linguists for grammar and semantic coherence while designing a system.  However, the authors concluded, there are a number of points in the process where linguistic expertise is still essential. These include building parallel corpora for MT; developing techno...

Hosted by Florian Faes and Esther Bond, with guest Anna Wyndham, in their SlatorPod year-end 2024 episode, key language industry trends over the course of the past year, including trends, drivers, and predictions, 2025, will be discussed. First, language industry news of the week: LXT acquired clickworker with the goal of doubling revenues by 2025 by expanding its AI data capabilities. Esther also shares how EzDubs, a speech translation startup, raised USD 4.2m in seed funding . Florian comments that RWS published revenues for 2024 that are stable with £180m from AI-powered products and services. Additionally, YouTube announced the rollout of AI dubbing , enabling content creators to reach new language-speaking audiences, but admitted limitations at this point, including poor voice quality. https://youtu.be/CtrVDikK7lE In their discussion, the trio talked about the UK House of Lords inquiry into court interpreting and translation , highlighting pay issues for interpreters, quality i...

Key Takeaways from SlatorCon London 2024 Introduction On May 23, 2024, over 170 language industry leaders from across the world gathered in the vibrant city of London for SlatorCon London 2024 . This event was a melting pot of ideas, innovations, and networking opportunities, offering attendees valuable insights into the future of language services and technology. Let's dive into the key takeaways from this remarkable event. Opening Remarks Esther Bond's Welcome Address The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Slator's own and London native Esther Bond , Head of Advisory. Esther provided an engaging overview of the day's presentations and panels, setting the stage for an exciting and informative day. Florian Faes' Market Mood Check Following Esther, Slator Managing Director Florian Faes took the stage to deliver a market mood check. Drawing insights from Slator’s 2024 Language Industry Market Report , Florian highlighted how AI is rapidly transforming existing...