TLC's Language Blog

Translation review can require linguistic expertise, subject matter knowledge, terminology management, regulatory awareness, and an understanding of what makes a translation fit for its intended purpose. That distinction matters because a reviewer who is not qualified for the task may unintentionally allow language risk to pass unnoticed.

AI has changed the conversation around language. A translation can happen in seconds, content can be rewritten instantly, and large volumes of multilingual information can be processed faster than ever. For organizations managing growing language demands, that speed can be incredibly valuable. But speed introduces a question that organizations cannot afford to ignore: Who is governing the output?

Terminology should be treated as part of language risk management, not simply a preference for polished writing. If the same thing has multiple names, your audience may wonder whether it is actually the same thing. Where is your language risk? Sometimes, it is hiding in the words you thought were interchangeable.

In regulated industries, organizations already understand the importance of managing risk in areas such as cybersecurity, quality, data privacy, regulatory compliance, and operational safety. Multilingual communication deserves the same level of intentionality.

Regulated organizations are already being held to the defensibility standard. Whether they know it yet often depends on whether something has gone wrong. The question is not whether defensibility will eventually be required. It is whether the system was built to provide it before it is needed.