Why AI is a game changer
Like many other fields, artificial intelligence has made great strides in the localization sector in recent years and is set to revolutionize an industry that has everything to gain from it.
The aim of this guide is to demonstrate how AI can optimize companies’ workflows for increased efficiency, compliance and competitiveness on the international stage.
A challenging environment
The industry is facing multiple and increasingly complex challenges: localization managers have to manage growing volumes within tight deadlines, while ensuring compliance with strict regulations.
A double challenge – operational and strategic
Integrating AI into localization workflows addresses a double challenge: it helps operational teams become more efficient and satisfies the strategic performance requirement of decision-makers.
Using AI to optimize processes therefore benefits both operational teams, by providing localization managers with tangible solutions to improve productivity and quality, and related decision-makers (quality and compliance managers, IT managers, marketing managers, product managers), who benefit from reduced time-to-market, improved traceability and compliance, and cost optimization.
How AI can transform Localization Managers’ daily lives
The daily challenges of workflows
Localization managers face growing challenges to meet the needs of clients within the requested deadlines and budgets.
As international growth is now seen as a necessity rather than a trend in all sectors, managing multilingual content is part of the daily routine for project management teams.
It requires the implementation of appropriate processes to ensure consistent terminology across all deliverables and to protect sensitive data.
Here, manual post-editing has its limits – it is time consuming and costly and can be a barrier to scalability and keeping the brand’s tone and image consistent across all markets.
How AI is optimizing practical applications
Neural machine translation (NMT) is a technology based on artificial neural networks and represents the most significant development in the sector thanks to artificial intelligence.
In contrast to previous static systems, NMT analyses the entire sentence to generate more fluent and contextually-appropriate translations. Human post-editing of machine translations can be more targeted and efficient, with productivity gains of up to 59.74% for French-German and 9.26% for German-Italian in the banking sector (Study “Post-editing Productivity with Neural Machine Translation”).
In addition, AI-enhanced glossaries and terminology databases enable NMT engines to be trained more specifically to produce translations that are more natural, consistent and market-appropriate. In short, tailor-made.
The switch from static translation memories to dynamic translation memories is another major breakthrough, providing increased leverage, better contextual adaptation and consistent terminology.
For localization managers, the advantage of AI also lies in the automation of workflows thanks to real-time connectors that enable AI translation tools to be integrated into TMS (Translation Management System), CMS (Content Management System)and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems.
Best practices for success
Now that the impact of AI translation has been established, here are some best practices based on the experience of project managers here at Version internationale:
Focus/Practice | Description |
Combine AI + human expertise | Machine translation has to be validated by an experienced linguist (quality + cultural adaptation) and, for critical content, by a specialist in the field. |
Carry out tests | Experimenting with different approaches helps to find a tailor-made solution that is adapted to the specific aspects of the project. |
Centralize and standardize terminology | Set up a common terminology database to ensure consistency and uniformity. |
Define relevant KPIs | Monitoring of key indicators: deadlines, quality, consistency. |
Train teams in the use of AI tools | Training of localization managers in AI tools, and post-editors in MTPE techniques. |
Check compliance with standards | Compliance with ISO 18587 and 17100 standards to ensure quality and accuracy. |
How AI is redefining strategic choices in localization
Priorities for managers
Decision-makers have everything to gain by embracing the breakthroughs made possible by AI, which is a powerful strategic driver for businesses.
- Reduced time to market: AI is radically transforming time to market, reducing it from several weeks to just a few days for multilingual product launch campaigns.
- Guaranteed compliance and traceability: regulatory compliance of AI translation is guaranteed through different standards that set quality requirements for machine translation
ISO 18587 | Provides requirements for the process of full, human post-editing of machine translation output. |
ISO 17100 | Provides requirements for high-quality translation services, with structured processes including initial translation, editing by a second linguist and final verification. Integrating AI must comply with these established quality workflows |
- Productivity and cost optimization: the cost savings achieved through AI translation are significant.
- Brand image and international competition: business growth is now driven by international expansion. With AI, it is now possible to reduce the costs of international campaigns without fear of fragmenting brand identity in the process. Adopting AI is also becoming a necessity in a world where 88% of decision-makers already use generative AI for translation (Forrester report on AI localization, 2025).
AI as a global driver
AI localization is a great driver for growth for companies looking to reach an international audience.
- In-house, its integration with various content management tools enables better coordination between IT, quality, marketing, product, and localization teams.
- Regulatory-wise, it improves traceability and auditability thanks to various standards in this area.
- Strategically, it provides a competitive advantage by enabling faster simultaneous launches across multiple markets, for example.
- Lastly, from a financial standpoint, the return on investment is tangible and measurable, with shorter lead times, reduced costs, and increased satisfaction. Productivity improvements can reach 90% reduction in translation time and 345% ROI over three years (Forrester’s Total Economic Impact, 2024).
Repositioning localization
AI translation processes are rewriting the rules of the industry, with localization shifting from a support function to a strategic role.
Localization managers play a special role in this new environment, becoming the architects of AI workflows.
For companies, this is an essential tool for international growth against the backdrop of digital transformation.
Real-life use cases – AI in action
Sectors | Characteristics | Real-life applications | The benefits of AI |
Pharma/Medtech | Strict translation requirements, patient safety and regulatory compliance issues | Product information leaflets, regulatory files, clinical trials, adverse event reports |
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Industry/Manufacturing | Need for multilingual technical and training/integration documentation | User manuals, maintenance guides, specifications, publication notes | Consistent terminology is essential for operational safety |
Marketing and products | Large-scale localization for marketing and retail | Promotional materials, product descriptions, support content, multilingual websites |
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Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is profoundly reshaping translation and localization, offering unprecedented productivity gains while maintaining the most exacting quality standards. The future belongs to organizations that can combine the power of AI with human expertise, guaranteeing accuracy, compliance and cultural adaptation.
Adopting a hybrid approach today means not only optimizing operations and strengthening the reliability of processes, but also strategically preparing for the revolution that is underway. For both operational teams and decision-makers, AI is a major opportunity to improve quality, speed up lead times, reduce costs and turn localization into a real competitive advantage.
Switch to AI-assisted localization
Don’t let this change pass you by – seize the opportunity. Explore AI-assisted localization solutions to ensure you remain competitive.
You can rely on Version Internationale and our expertise to equip you with the best tools and turn your international ambitions into tangible results.
