Welcome to the LOCANUCU blog, your daily roundup of localization news you can use. Today is July 8, 2025, and the industry is buzzing with major developments. We're covering a landmark acquisition in the interpreting space that's set to reshape the US healthcare market. We'll also look at significant government contracts, the quiet deployment of a sophisticated AI tool for French diplomats, and the ongoing, passionate debate surrounding AI's role, sparked by a recent public blunder from a major streaming service. From client-side strategy at Booking.com to new academic insights, let's get you informed and ahead of the curve.
- Propio Language Services, a major US-based LSP, has announced its acquisition of remote interpretation specialist CyraCom.
- The Propio-CyraCom deal creates a dominant force in the healthcare interpreting market in the United States.
- Propio CEO Marco Assis stated the merger aims to combine Propio's AI technology with CyraCom's deep expertise.
- SOSi has secured a major government contract worth approximately $260 million with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- The SOSi contract involves providing transcription, translation, and analysis for the DEA's electronic surveillance program.
- The French government has launched "DiploIA," a secure, in-house AI translation and transcription tool for its 13,000 diplomats.
- DiploIA runs on internal government servers to ensure data sovereignty and security for sensitive diplomatic communications.
- Anime streaming service Crunchyroll faced backlash after German subtitles for a new show mistakenly included the text "ChatGPT said:".
- The Crunchyroll incident has fueled debate about the use of AI in media localization and the balance between speed and quality.
- Consultant Hilary An advises localization teams to become "AI-native," embedding AI into their core strategy rather than just using it as a tool.
- Paula Manzur, Language AI Strategy Lead at Booking.com, warns against treating localization as an afterthought, especially with the rise of GenAI content.
- Manzur advocates for localization to report on business value and revenue impact, not just operational metrics like word counts.
- A Localazy podcast with Kevin O'Donnell highlights the need for localization metrics that connect to business goals and UX improvements.
- Creating high-quality content in underrepresented languages can improve a brand's share of voice in generative AI search results.
- A new academic book, "Writing Forward," edited by Susan Bassnett and Kathryn Blumczynski, explores creativity in translation.
- Lionbridge is hosting a webinar focused on the essential role of language services for patient access compliance in life sciences.
- The July 2025 issue of Multilingual Magazine focuses on Canada's language industry, regulation, and innovation.
- Bureau Works CEO Gabriel Fairman emphasizes the need for the industry to rethink its technology and strategy in the face of AI.
- Industry discussions, including those led by Manuel Herranz, are actively exploring the impact of upcoming AI agent technology.
- Thought leaders like Stefan Huyghe continue to champion the importance of human linguists in providing cultural resonance that AI cannot replicate.
- Experts highlight the critical need for human translators, cultural consultation, and proper RTL design when localizing for Arabic markets.
- Users on platforms like YouTube express frustration with forced auto-translation of titles and descriptions, citing a lack of viewer control.
A landmark deal is making waves in the interpreting sector, as Propio Language Services has announced its acquisition of CyraCom. This move brings together two of the largest language service providers in the United States, creating a major player particularly dominant in the healthcare interpreting space. Marco Assis, CEO of Propio, described the transaction as a transformative moment for the industry, aiming to set a new standard for access and quality in language solutions by combining Propio's AI-powered technology with CyraCom's deep expertise in remote interpretation. The integration of the two companies is already underway.
In government contracting news, SOSi has been awarded a significant contract valued at approximately $260 million by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The contract is for foreign language support services for the DEA's Title III electronic surveillance program, covering monitoring, transcription, translation, and analysis of intercepted communications across 241 offices nationwide. SOSi has a long-standing relationship with the DEA, and CEO Julian Setian noted the company plans to introduce its proprietary AI-powered Pandion system to enhance the analysis of intercepted data over the next year.
Staying with government and technology, the French government has discreetly rolled out a new language AI tool named "DiploIA" for its 13,000 diplomatic agents. Developed in-house by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs' digital directorate, the system focuses on secure, multilingual translation and transcription across about 100 languages. Virginie Rozière, the Ministry's Digital Director, highlighted that the tool runs on the ministry's own servers to ensure data sovereignty and security, mitigating risks like data leaks and bias. The goal is to assist diplomats with their existing language skills, allowing them to focus more on quality control. Future plans include adding automatic summarization features.
The role of AI in localization continues to be a central and often contentious topic. Anime streaming service Crunchyroll has come under fire after a significant subtitling error. German subtitles for a new series included the text "ChatGPT said:", confirming community suspicions about the use of AI with minimal human oversight. This incident, along with placeholder text found in English subtitles for the same show, has intensified the debate around quality versus speed in media localization, especially as the company's president had previously spoken about exploring AI to accelerate subtitle releases. This follows similar user complaints about the quality of auto-generated captions on other major platforms, highlighting a growing tension between automated accessibility features and user demand for quality and control.
Offering a strategic perspective on this shift, localization consultant Hilary An advocates for companies to become "AI-native." This approach involves fundamentally rethinking localization workflows not as a downstream task, but as an integrated, AI-first process. It suggests moving beyond simply using AI as a tool for existing methods and instead building strategies where AI is a core component from the start.
This sentiment is echoed in discussions across the professional community. Gabriel Fairman, CEO of Bureau Works, has spoken about the need to rethink technology and strategy to meet shifting client and linguist expectations in the age of generative AI. Manuel Herranz of Pangeanic has also contributed to the conversation on the rise of AI agents and their future impact on the industry.
From the client side, Paula Manzur, Language AI Strategy Lead at Booking.com, shared valuable insights. Coming from a background as a linguist and interpreter, she emphasized that the biggest mistake companies make is still treating localization as an afterthought. With the massive content explosion driven by GenAI, she stressed the need for localization teams to be part of the content creation process from the very beginning. Manzur also championed moving away from purely operational metrics like word counts and focusing instead on demonstrating business value, for instance, through A/B testing and tracking revenue contributions in local markets.
Building on the topic of metrics, a recent podcast from Localazy featured Kevin O'Donnell, who argued that many traditional localization metrics are irrelevant to business leaders. He advises teams to link their work directly to user experience and business goals, such as improved onboarding in a specific market or higher conversion rates, rather than just reporting on cost and speed.
Looking at how to gain visibility in this new landscape, Localazy also published insights on improving a brand's "Share of Voice" in generative search. The key is creating high-quality, localized content for underrepresented languages. Because many AI models are trained primarily on English data, providing authentic, well-formatted content in other languages can significantly increase the chances of being featured in AI-generated answers.
In academic news, a new book titled "Writing Forward: Translation, Performance, Creativity," edited by Susan Bassnett and Kathryn Blumczynski, has been released. The collection of essays explores translation as a creative and forward-looking practice, particularly in the context of theatre but also extending to poetry, film, and television.
Finally, Lionbridge is addressing a critical area in the life sciences sector with a webinar on the role of language services in achieving patient access compliance. This highlights the ongoing need for high-quality, specialized language services to meet regulatory requirements and ensure better healthcare outcomes. And from Multilingual Magazine, their July issue focuses on Canada's unique language landscape, celebrating its contributions to the industry and examining its regulatory environment.
That's a wrap on today's news from the LOCANUCU blog. We've seen how industry consolidation continues with the major Propio and CyraCom deal, while companies like SOSi secure massive government contracts. The conversation around AI remains critical, with real-world examples from Crunchyroll showing the risks, and strategic insights from leaders at Booking.com and consultants like Hilary An guiding the path forward. The key takeaway? Whether it's about metrics, generative search, or patient compliance, the focus is shifting from operational efficiency to demonstrating true business value and cultural resonance. Stay tuned to LOCANUCU for more actionable insights to help you thrive.