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176: Cultural Intelligence Series - The language specialist’s role is evolving, and enterprise AI depends on it
For years, the localization industry has told a story about speed, cost and quality. But as AI transforms how content is created and translated, that narrative and those metrics alone are no longer enough to define the value of language expertise.
In our latest Cultural Intelligence Podcast episode, Maria Schnell, Chief Language Officer at RWS, explores why this moment is unlike any other in the history of language expertise. While many see AI as a replacement for translation, Maria argues that this view fundamentally misunderstands what language professionals actually do.
Translation isn’t the exchange of words. It’s the transfer of meaning, intent, and context from one audience to another. The real value of language expertise lies in understanding culture, nuance, and human communication; capabilities that become even more important as AI becomes more powerful.
This episode challenges the industry’s long-standing narrative and asks a more fundamental question: what is the true value of language expertise in an AI-driven world? And as AI takes on more of the execution, how can human expertise evolve to guide the systems that increasingly shape global communication?
Guests
Maria is responsible for the Language eXperience Delivery platform at RWS, and oversees all localization and production processes for client-facing teams.
Over 15 years’ experience in localization has given Maria an unrivalled level of expertise. Not only does she drive the day-to-day activities of language delivery teams, she is leading the transformation towards a data-driven, machine-first, human-centred localization process.
After graduating from university, Maria joined SDL (acquired by RWS in 2020) as a Localization Project Manager. Her first leadership role arrived in 2010 when she led SDL’s operational and commercial teams in Germany. Five years later Maria moved to the operational side, leading production teams across Europe, and then globally.
Maria has a Diplom Übersetzer from the University of Heidelberg. In her spare time Maria enjoys cooking and spending time with her family.
Hosts
Marine is RWS’s Head of Global Social Media, responsible for developing and implementing the company’s global social media strategy.
After graduating as a translator from German and English into French, Marine did her internship at RWS in Berlin as a translator and terminologist. After her internship, she continued to work for the RWS Berlin office as a technical translator for 5 years while continuing to learn about marketing and social media. She then did some consulting for RWS as a social media specialist and became RWS’s social media manager in 2021, managing the company social media channels and community.
Marine has a degree in translation and terminology from the UCLouvain in Belgium. In her free time, she enjoys learning foreign languages, doing sport and taking a walk in the sun to discover cute coffee places. She is based in Madrid, Spain.
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