Welcome to "LOCANUCU - Localization news you can use," your ultimate destination for staying informed and ahead of the curve. In today's roundup for October 24, 2025, we're covering the widespread adoption of AI for translation, as highlighted by a new EU survey, and the corporate response, with new tools from Capgemini and Esri. We'll also look at strategic leadership changes at RWS, the high-stakes localization of "microdramas" in global marketing, and the real-world strategies for expanding into the MENA region. Finally, we'll touch on the critical human element, from the evolving role of translators to the labor pressures facing interpreters in Canada.
- New EU survey: 30% of workers use AI; 59% of those users apply it to translation tasks.
- Capgemini has released BabelSpeak, a real-time AI speech translation pipeline for privacy-sensitive environments.
- An Open ASR Leaderboard has been launched by Hugging Face, NVIDIA, Mistral AI, and the University of Cambridge.
- NVIDIA, Microsoft, and ElevenLabs currently top the new Open ASR Leaderboard for speech recognition.
- New analysis of GenAI models shows Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4.5 (preview) are top performers in translation quality.
- NMT engines still lead in translation quality, but advanced LLMs are closing the gap.
- Specialized domains like Legal & Healthcare show the largest quality gaps in AI translation models.
- Esri updated ArcGIS with new AI assistants, including a translation assistant for Instant Apps.
- The new Esri tool, via the Language Switcher, helps localize app content into multiple languages.
- Researchers at Hong Kong University and Soul AI Lab unveiled a system to preserve speaker emotion in AI speech translation.
- RWS announced two strategic Q4 leadership hires: Stephen Lamb as new CFO.
- RWS also appointed Michael Wayne as the new Head of Media and Entertainment.
- AI company Perplexity is hiring a Localization Program Manager, following a similar move by OpenAI.
- Market reports project steady growth for the Translation & Localization Services market from 2025-2032.
- A separate report projects significant growth for the Software Localization Tools market.
- Short-form "microdramas" are a major global marketing trend, driven by localization.
- Heidi Liu of LightX Studios noted Chinese-produced short dramas hold over 80% of the 2023 overseas market.
- LightX Studios' success came from producing 103 English-language versions of dramas for the LA market.
- Aditya Aima of AnyMind Group advises treating the MENA region as a "mosaic, not a monolith" for expansion.
- Strategy for MENA expansion: "You move at the speed of trust" and align with national visions like Saudi Vision 2030.
- Ankabut, a UAE education tech provider, partnered with Huawei, Rong Cloud, and others to develop new solutions.
- This Ankabut partnership identifies "Localization and Support" as a key pillar for adapting tech locally.
- The future role of human translators is increasingly seen as "experts in the loop" for post-editing.
- Canadian Parliament interpreters are reportedly considering quitting over new proposed work conditions.
The adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace continues to accelerate, with translation being a primary use case. A new EU-wide survey reveals that 30% of workers in the European Union now use AI, and of those, 59% use it for translation tasks, second only to writing assistance.
This adoption is mirrored by new enterprise-grade tools. Capgemini has released "BabelSpeak," a real-time AI speech translation pipeline specifically designed for privacy-sensitive environments. For those tracking performance, a new Open ASR Leaderboard has been launched by Hugging Face, NVIDIA, Mistral AI, and the University of Cambridge to benchmark automatic speech recognition models. Currently, models from NVIDIA, Microsoft, and ElevenLabs hold the top positions.
Further analysis of AI translation capabilities shows that while newer generative AI models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet and the GPT-4.5 preview are achieving top scores, established Neural Machine Translation engines still lead in overall quality. The performance gaps are most evident in specialized fields, such as Legal and Healthcare, underscoring the ongoing need for domain-specific training. In a related development, researchers from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Soul AI Lab have unveiled a system focused on preserving a speaker's voice, tone, and emotion during AI-powered speech translation.
Platform providers are also integrating these technologies. Esri has expanded the AI assistants within its ArcGIS platform. This October update includes a new translation assistant in ArcGIS Instant Apps, accessible via the Language Switcher, which helps users quickly convert app content into multiple languages.
In corporate news, RWS has announced two strategic leadership appointments for the fourth quarter. Stephen Lamb will be joining as the new Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Wayne has been named the new Head of Media and Entertainment. In hiring trends, AI company Perplexity is actively seeking a Localization Program Manager. This move is notable as it follows a similar hiring push by OpenAI, indicating that as AI companies scale globally, they are building out their internal localization teams. This trend aligns with new market reports, which project steady growth for the Translation and Localization Services market and significant growth for the Software Localization Tools market through 2032.
Turning to localization strategy in practice, the rise of short-form "microdramas" is having a major impact on global marketing. Heidi Liu, Executive Producer at LightX Studios, noted that Chinese-produced short dramas captured over 80% of the overseas market share in 2023. She attributes her studio's success—with top U.S. productions surpassing 30 million downloads and $10 million in revenue—to a meticulous localization strategy, which included producing 103 distinct English-language versions specifically for the Los Angeles market.
In a different strategic context, Aditya Aima, Managing Director of AnyMind Group, discussed the company's expansion from Southeast Asia into the Middle East. He emphasized that the MENA region should be treated as a "mosaic, not a monolith," as markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia are vastly different. The key, he stated, is to "move at the speed of trust" by building local teams and aligning with national roadmaps, such as Saudi Vision 2030.
This focus on local adaptation is also evident in the education technology sector. Ankabut, the UAE's advanced technology provider for education, has signed a multi-party agreement with partners including Huawei Technologies UAE, RONG CLOUD, Neuxnet, and Talk Cloud. A key pillar of this collaboration is "Localization and Support," ensuring that new AI and cloud solutions are properly adapted for local educational requirements.
While technology advances, the human element remains critical. The role of human translators is increasingly being defined as "experts in the loop," responsible for post-editing and refining machine output rather than originating every translation. However, the pressures on these professionals are also in the spotlight. Reports indicate that many accredited interpreters for the Canadian Parliament are considering quitting their work due to new proposed procurement rules and working conditions.
That concludes our news roundup from "LOCANUCU - Localization news you can use." Today, we saw how AI translation is becoming a standard workplace tool across the EU and how companies like Capgemini and Esri are integrating it into their platforms. We covered strategic hires at RWS and the trend of AI companies like Perplexity building their own localization teams. We also examined localization in practice, from the 103 localized versions of a single "microdrama" by LightX Studios to AnyMind Group's "mosaic" approach to the MENA market. Finally, we were reminded of the vital role of human professionals, both as the "experts in the loop" and as a skilled workforce facing new challenges, like the interpreters in Canada. Visit locanucu.com for more actionable insights and trends to help you thrive in a globalized marketplace.