And just like that, LocWorld51, the European edition of this fantastic event in 2024 has come and gone. As always, it lived up to its expectations, and we left the conference feeling wiser, more energized, and more optimistic than we already were when it started.
Its theme, “AI and beyond”, may have seemed at first sight like “another conference talking about AI” – but far from it. The conversations about AI are still happening, but it’s the angles and the focus that change. On that topic, here are the 3 top takeaways that we’ll carry back home with us from Dublin.
1. AI – Looking “beyond the fog”
The tone of the conference was set early on with the keynote address from Erin Hauge, ‘Artificial Intelligence: ‘Beyond the Fog of Hype and Hysteria’. After what seems like endless months of raving about AI tools and features, the conversation seems to have finally shifted to the actual practicalities of AI and the ever-important question of “How can AI help me?”. In other words, the focus has transitioned from the actual AI features to what problems can it solve.
As we saw in XTM Live, when it comes to AI, smart companies are now sorting through the noise and trying to find what exactly is meaningful for their localization programs. The bottom line is that AI is not technology that you can just “plug and play”. Instead, it’s become clear that the first step in its successful implementation needs to be understanding what challenges it can solve and what benefits it brings. These are the questions that we heard the most about at our booth from customers and prospects, and these are the questions that need to be answered before anyone commits to purchasing and deploying AI technology.
Curating data should be an ongoing exercise due to the evolving nature of information and standards.
2. The focus needs to be on data
The keynote presentation from Erin Hauge earned some fantastic feedback from attendees on social media. One of the most interesting topics Hauge touched upon was the importance of having the right kind of data for GenerativeAI to learn from, moving away from human biases which can perpetuate themselves and cause considerable challenges if not brand damage down the line if not addressed at the root.
As companies look to AI-powered tools for efficiency, the efficiency gained by using them can be lost if the levels of quality require considerable human intervention before publication. By curating the data that large language models (LLMs) are feeding off and ensuring that it is as free of bias as possible, companies can allow AI-generated content to be more autonomous and, therefore, efficient. However, curating data should be an ongoing exercise due to the evolving nature of information and standards.
3. In-person events remain as important as ever
In an industry where a large percentage of its professionals work remotely, the opportunity to attend an in-person event allows everyone to meet fellow colleagues, connections, and new contacts face to face. Networking activities enjoy a high degree of popularity because, let’s face it, conversations over Zoom are no match for chatting in person over a few drinks. But in the midst of all this networking frenzy, it’s important to remember that events like LocWorld are a unique platform for personal and business growth.
The presentations at this year’s European edition touched on subjects that are not only key to understanding the localization industry of today but also of tomorrow. Innovation, linguistic inclusivity, scalability, strategic and technological evolution, and, of course, everything you need to know about AI dominated the stages in Dublin, making choosing which track to attend a hard decision. No matter if you are on the supplier side or the customer side, attending LocWorld provides an invaluable knowledge-sharing platform. After 21 years of LocWorld, here’s to another 21 years and beyond!
We look forward to seeing you all again in Monterey in October!
