The Localization Institute is hosting the second Translation Technology Round Table on January 24 and 25, 2019 in Boulder, Colorado. The industry meeting, organized by Richard Sikes and Willem Stoeller, will focus on various aspects of technologies used in the translation industry.
During six sessions consisting of short presentations and subsequent discussion rounds, current challenges in the translation industry and possible solutions will be discussed. The primary focus this year will be on the question: How and where is artificial intelligence already being used in translation and localization projects?
Sylvester Weise, IT Support Engineer at Plunet Inc. in New York, is a member of the advisory board of the event series. The advisory board defines and sets the topics for the two-day information exchange together with other industry experts.
We talked to Sylvester about the benefits of the event, the current challenges in the industry and the much-discussed topic of artificial intelligence.
You will be on the Translation Technology Round Table for the second time as an advisory board member. What is the target audience of the event?
Representatives of the entire industry spectrum take part in this event. Translation service providers, technology providers, and buyers will discuss challenges and possible solutions openly and constructively. The focus will be on technical issues.
Can you explain the concept and structure of the event?
33 people will take part in this year’s Round Table. At an event this size, you can not only exchange detailed information, you can also be inspired by a variety of opinions, ideas and solutions. Since the topics have been selected in advance, a technical framework already exists. The sessions consist of a short introduction and a subsequent discussion round, during which all participants will have their say. Altogether, there are six discussion sessions plus two additional sessions reserved for technology demos.
Currently, what are the most important topics regarding integration technologies?
Although the translation industry is highly technological, it does not have enough satisfactory standards compared to other industries and is therefore still inefficient. This is particularly evident with regard to integration of applications, which is currently still difficult.
The Round Table offers us the opportunity to get to know the challenges from all different sides and thus to better understand the different requirements in order to ultimately find suitable solutions.
How do you rate the use of AI in the translation industry? What developments do you think are likely?
There are many conceivable applications, but actual implementations are still lacking. The industry will initially focus on two areas
1. Translations based on the augmented translation model: AI enables a high-quality enrichment of content that takes into account the context of the text to be translated.
2. Project Management: AI can help to better handle exceptions and changes in the workflow.
What is the added value of the Translation Technology Round Table? Are further events of this format planned?
Topic wise, we have our fingers on the industry pulse with the Round Table. In addition to their many years of experience in the industry, the participants bring with them a great deal of passion for the topic. This ensures an intensive and solution-oriented exchange at a high level. You share a lot of knowledge, but you also take a lot home with you.
After the success in the USA, the organizers are now evaluating holding a similar event in Germany. And this much can already be revealed: the event will likely take place in Heidelberg, probably in September – and Plunet will definitely be there again.
Thank you very much for your answers!
The Translation Technology Round Table 2019 in Colorado is already sold out. Information on the individual sessions, the speakers, and a possible next event in Heidelberg can be found on the Localization Institute’s website.
About Sylvester
With over 10 years‘ experience in information technology for SMEs, Sylvester Weise is already an old hand in the industry. At Plunet’s New York location, he focuses on IT support and project management as well as on technical development for the NASA region.
Sylvester is passionate about robotic process automation (RPA) and cross-platform integration.
