Cathy Martin
Cathy Martin was MultiLingual Media's managing editor from January 2024 to February 2026.
AIJIC to Oppose Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Alleging Court Interpreter Identity Theft
The Association of Independent Judicial Interpreters of California plans to oppose a motion to dismiss its lawsuit against One Call, a workers’ compensation coordination company it accuses of stealing interpreter names and credentials since 2021.
Norway’s Inaugural Fosse Prize Goes to Prolific German Translator
A new prize for literary translators from the National Library of Norway has been awarded to German translator Hinrich Schmidt-Henkel, who has translated around 120 titles by a range of Norwegian authors.
ONCALL Language Services Executive Arrested for Drug Trafficking in Australia
Tekin Hulusi, the Deputy CEO of an Australian language service provider, has been arrested in connection with an international drug trafficking ring. He was one of dozens of people arrested last week by the Australian Federal Police in a sting operation targeting users of a secret messaging app for criminals.
Jorgelina Venturi
I originally came from the information technology (IT) world, but I always had a love for languages. Back in 2014, I crossed paths with Charles Campbell, the founder and president of tbo, who offered me a job as a project manager.
Lize Spies
My work at Folio Online combines my passion for language with my love for people. Meeting interesting people from across the globe and learning about different cultures and languages is priceless. However, my greatest joy is facilitating communication and empowering people from the ground up.
Richard Sikes
To earn some extra cash in 1982, I worked for a German businessman doing backstage technical interpretation for American theater companies touring Europe. The American lighting designers and the European backstage teams had different visions of what constitutes quality.
Merlindia A. Romelus
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been deeply passionate about reading and writing. This love for language naturally led me to pursue a degree in Linguistics at university, where I developed a strong foundation in the complexities of language and its various forms.
Marco Russo
From a young age, I’ve always had a deep passion for languages and translation. Even during my school years, I was constantly fascinated by how languages work and how meaning can be conveyed across different cultures.
Smith Nord
I have always been passionate about foreign languages, especially English. When I was in Grade 11 in 2004, the US marines came to Haiti following political unrest, and a lot of my friends who knew English were hired as interpreters.
Masehlabaka Mokose
My passion for languages and education naturally led me to the language industry. Growing up, I was always fascinated by the power of language to bridge cultures and communicate ideas. My love for French, in particular, deepened as I pursued my Bachelor of Education with French as my major.
Mohamed Hussein
I was born and raised in Northern Virginia, in a multilingual household. My parents were immigrants from Somalia and instilled in me the importance of language and culture. At home, we spoke Somali, and I learned Arabic as a kid. I spent six years in the Middle East studying Arabic formally.
Daniele Cocozza
It was, in a way, a happy accident that led me to the language industry. My passion has always been sports, and I initially set out to build a career in that field. However, a last-minute decision during university years led me to translation studies.
Ahmed Abdulmajeed
My journey into the language industry began out of necessity. When I arrived in the US as a refugee, knowing that my medical degree from Iraq wouldn’t be immediately transferable, I needed a way to sustain myself while I navigated this new reality.
Hidden Gems
Here, we feature ten individuals from around the globe who were nominated by their colleagues in recognition of their exceptional talent and dedication. We asked them to discuss their career choices, skill development, and what drives them to make a difference every day.
Language Companies and the Generative AI Boom
With GenAI in its nascent stage, language companies that use this emerging technology are in uncharted territory. In this article, ten of the most influential companies in the industry explain how they are leveraging GenAI to improve outcomes for their teams and customers.
AIJIC Alleges Court Interpreter Identity Theft in California Lawsuit
The Association of Independent Judicial Interpreters of California is suing One Call for allegedly stealing interpreter names and credentials.
New Products From Samsung and Timekettle Make AI Simultaneous Interpretation Accessible
Samsung's latest smartphones will feature a “Live Translate” function, and Timekettle introduced a handheld device for meeting interpretation.
Hameed Afssari: Localized Software for Everyone, Everywhere
Hameed Afssari:
Localized Software for Everyone, Everywhere
INTERVIEW BY CATHY MARTIN
BIRTHPLACE
Shiraz, Iran
UNIVERSITY
Wichita State University
FAVORITE PLACES VISITED
London (UK), Hyderabad (India), Deception Pass (US), Mecca and Medina (Saudi...
With Gemini Launch, Google Overtakes OpenAI in Multimodal AI Race
Google’s AI research lab, DeepMind, introduced a new group of models called Gemini that outperforms the best OpenAI models when evaluated on standard benchmark datasets — including those for automatic speech recognition and translation.
Michael Levot: Keeping localization in focus
Localization hasn’t always been top of mind at large tech companies with hundreds of competing priorities. But that’s changing, and Michael Levot — head of localization at Canva — has seen this shift up close. Not only that, he’s been a driving force behind recent internationalization efforts at the Australian graphic design software company.
Meta Expands “Seamless” Translation Tech With New AI Models
Built on version 2 of SeamlessM4T, the new open-source models boast state-of-the-art speech recognition and translation capabilities in up to 100 languages.
Literary Translation Awards Go to Translators of Arabic and Vietnamese Works
The American Literary Translators Association announced the winners of the 2023 National Translation Awards in Poetry and Prose, recognizing translators “who have made an outstanding contribution to literature in English.”
Debating the Ethics of AI Voice Translation in Politics
New York City Mayor Eric Adams made headlines when he used AI to make calls to constituents in Spanish, Yiddish, and Mandarin — despite not speaking any of those languages.
TIME Applauds Language-Related Innovations from Meta, Duolingo, and LEGO
TIME Magazine recognized three language-industry products in its “Best Inventions of 2023” list, underscoring the importance of multilingual communication, accessibility, and inclusion in today’s globalized world.