Denver — February 7, 2025 — Lokalise, a leading localization platform, today released its Top localization trends report, showing that the industry isn’t just evolving—it’s sprinting towards automation while keeping humans in the loop.

Drawing from data across 3,000+ customers from 2021 to 2024, the report highlights a surge in machine-assisted translation (it now accounts for 70% of all translations) and a significant move away from traditional human-only translation workflows. 

The report’s data on increased translation memory usage (150% YoY) also reveals that companies are combining AI capabilities with smart reuse of language assets.

Key findings from the report include:

• Machine-assisted translation methods now account for 70% of all translations, marking a 20% increase from 2023
• AI translation surged by 533% in 2024, indicating rapidly growing trust in AI-powered solutions
• Human-only translation decreased by approximately 30% in 2024, suggesting a fundamental shift in industry practices
• Translation memory usage increased by 150% year-over-year, demonstrating companies’ focus on efficiency and cost optimization

The report also revealed surprising trends in traditionally conservative sectors. The finance industry saw a 700% increase in AI translation adoption, while the healthcare sector demonstrated a complete transformation from zero machine-assisted translation in 2021 to significant adoption in 2024.

Initial research from the product team at Lokalise showed that Claude 3.5 ranked first in translation accuracy when compared to other leading translation engines, including GPT-4o, Google Translate, DeepL, and Microsoft Translator, based on the Bradley Terry model evaluation.

Overall, the data suggests that successful companies aren’t choosing between human and machine-assisted translation but are instead adopting hybrid approaches that combine both methods for optimal results. This strategy, supported by translation memory technology, is emerging as the new standard in efficient, high-quality localization.

“While traditional human translation continues to decline across industries, it remains crucial in sectors where nuance and precision are non-negotiable,” said Erik Vogt, Solutions and Innovations Director at Argos Multilingual. 

“The future isn’t about choosing between humans or machines—it’s about finding the right balance between human insight and machine efficiency.”

For more information about the report and its findings, please visit Lokalise.

About Lokalise

Lokalise is the most user-friendly localization platform that helps companies automate and simplify translation and localization workflows at scale. The platform combines AI translation capabilities, translation memory, and automated workflow solutions for both technical and non-technical teams.