SlatorPod

• #266 CaptionHub CEO Tom Bridges on AI-Powered Real-Time Media Accessibility

  Tom Bridges, CEO and Founder of CaptionHub, joins SlatorPod to talk about how a small in-house tool evolved into a global AI-powered multimedia localization platform. Tom began his career in post-production and visual effects before stumbling into subtitling when a client needed to localize a video into 16 languages overnight. He reveals that the disorganized workflows relying on spreadsheets inspired him to create a more efficient, centralized solution, which became CaptionHub.Tom explains that CaptionHub has since grown from a subtitling tool into a full multimedia localization platform integrating speech recognition, machine translation, and synthetic voice. He adds that the platform’s strength lies in being AI-agnostic and offering end-to-end workflows that balance automation with human-in-the-loop processes.Tom describes how CaptionHub’s new product suite, Timbra, enables real-time media localization and has already supported major live events. He says live captioning is technically complex but benefits from the company’s years of research into video-on-demand subtitling quality.Tom notes that accessibility regulations like the European Accessibility Act are driving demand, while AI and language models are opening new frontiers such as lip-sync and sign-language integration. Tom envisions a future where speech-to-speech translation, synthetic dubbing, and real-time localization merge into seamless, scalable experiences. CaptionHub’s mission remains to make multimedia communication universally accessible and efficient through human and AI collaboration.

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• #265 Slator Award, DeepL’s $5 Billion Plan, Merz Stirs EU Interpreter Debate

  Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the week, with breaking news that DeepL is reportedly exploring an initial public offering (IPO) in the US at a potential USD 5bn valuation. This comes as DeepL now positions itself as a “global AI product and research company”. Florian also notes the launch of DeepL Marketplace and the appointment of Gonçalo Gaiolas as Chief Product Officer.Florian opens with the first-ever Slator Award at ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, where Guy Ratnitsky won for his thesis on data security and confidentiality in AI. The program will soon be renamed MA in Multilingual Communication Management to reflect market realities.The duo turns to Anthropic’s new Economic Index, which shows translators and interpreters make up 0.63% of Claude AI usage, while OpenAI data previously showed translation-related conversations at 4.5%. Florian unpacks comments from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who, during a visit to Spain, suggested AI could replace EU interpreters in the medium term. He explains that Spain is pushing for Catalan, Basque, and Galician to become official EU languages, but Merz cited translation workload and complexity.Florian and Esther then run through live AI speech translation updates: Zoom’s in-house rollout, Apple’s AirPods, Google’s translation features, Microsoft’s API, and Meta’s Ray-Bans.In Esther’s M&A corner, she reports on Bering Lab’s acquisition of Intersphere in Korea and Iyuno’s partnership with Motion Picture Solutions in the UK for a film localization pipeline. Meanwhile, Testronic secured funding to scale down in some locations while expanding in Manila as a hub for QA testing and localization.

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• #264 ElevenLabs Surprise, ChatGPT Stunner, YouTube Dubs, Microsoft Interpreting API

  Slator’s Senior Research Analyst Alex Edwards joins Esther and Florian on the pod to discuss ElevenLabs’ move from a pure-play language technology platform (LTP) to becoming a language solutions integrator (LSI) by adding a managed service offering.He outlines that the LSI will now offer managed services such as dubbing, transcription, and subtitling, hiring in-house linguists and vendor managers, while charging about USD 22 per minute for dubbing.Florian then turns to YouTube’s rollout of multi-language audio tracks, which allows some creators to upload high-quality audio directly to videos and opens major opportunities for AI dubbing providers. The discussion shifts to OpenAI’s research on ChatGPT usage, reporting that translation accounted for 4.5% of more than a million sampled conversations, underscoring massive global demand for AI translation.Esther highlights Microsoft’s launch of its Live Interpreter API, which promises real-time speech translation with “human interpreter level latency”. Esther also details Mistral’s USD 2bn funding to advance European AI capabilities, allowing them to compete with US and Chinese AI giants. Esther closes by reporting on WIPO’s new Korean-English post-editing tender.

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• #263 SlatorCon Recap, Cohere’s Big AI Translation Launch, TransPerfect Buys Unbabel

  Florian and Esther discuss the language industry news of the past few weeks, beginning with a recap of SlatorCon Silicon Valley 2025, where the duo noted strong localization buyer and user turnout, and tech-focused discussions across presentations and panels.One key highlight was Cohere’s well-timed launch of Command A Translate, which allowed Kelly Marchisio to share details on building multilingual LLMs. Esther notes that Cohere’s multilingual models focus on high-quality coverage of about 20 languages rather than attempting hundreds.Florian turns to the Apertus launch in Switzerland, where EPFL, ETH Zurich, and the Swiss Supercomputing Centre released a multilingual model trained on over 15 trillion tokens and covering more than 1,000 languages, including Swiss German and Romansh.Esther reveals that Middlebury Institute will phase out its graduate translation and interpretation programs by 2027, marking the loss of a key training ground.Esther reports on TransPerfect’s acquisition of Unbabel, with plans to integrate its AI tools, such as TowerLLM and EuroVLM, into GlobalLink, while CEO Vasco Pedro will stay briefly during the transition. Florian outlines Apple’s launch of AirPod Pro 3 with live AI translation and Google’s new Gemini-powered updates for AI live speech translation.Esther concludes with the Inc. 5000 rankings, highlighting 11 language industry companies. She highlights Propio, Boostlingo, and CQ Fluency as repeat entrants, with Propio topping the list but also announcing job cuts following its acquisition of CyraCom.

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• #262 The Hard Facts About AI in Healthcare Interpreting with GLOBO CEO Dipak Patel

  Dipak Patel, CEO of GLOBO, joins SlatorPod to talk about his journey into language services and the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into healthcare communication.Dipak explains that his career began in consulting and private equity, but a personal experience with his mother’s healthcare highlighted the importance of interpretation services and led him to GLOBO.The CEO emphasizes that since 2020, GLOBO has doubled down on healthcare, embraced AI and large language models, and addressed the mounting pressures of clinician shortages and aging populations. Dipak gives an overview of GLOBO’s platforms: HQ provides backend data and reporting, Connect enables access to interpreters through mobile devices, and KAI is the company’s AI interpreter, which is undergoing pilots across US hospitals.Dipak cautions that AI cannot replace expert interpreters in all situations as interpreters serve as more than simple conduits; they clarify meaning, act as cultural brokers, and advocate for patients. He believes the near-term role of AI is filling gaps in the patient journey where interpretation currently does not happen.Dipak details how GLOBO is using AI to monitor interpreter quality in real time, checking professionalism, background noise, and accuracy. He stresses that security, data protection, and careful testing are crucial to AI adoption in healthcare.Dipak reflects on the growth of GLOBO, attributing it to a strong team and relentless focus on innovation. He concludes that while AI will play a bigger role in the next decades, the key lies in balancing it with human expertise.

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