Rule #12. Forget Language Barriers

Smart translation & equal access!

I remember very well how impressed I was as a kid by the story of Babylon. I always thought, how cool would it be to live in a world where language wasn’t a barrier? Wait, what? Did my wish just come true? Or almost? Some days, I feel like a superhero with what we’re doing.

Why should language ever be a barrier to learning? In the past, language differences were a significant problem, especially in global teams or multinational companies. Imagine trying to onboard a new employee who speaks a different language or creating training material that has to resonate with diverse teams across the world. The translation process was often difficult, time-consuming, and, frankly, far from perfect.

One real example I’ve encountered is in safety training for manufacturing plants. These plants often have employees from various linguistic backgrounds.

Previously, creating comprehensive training that every worker could fully understand required hiring translators, producing separate materials for each language, and hoping nothing got lost in translation. Or forcing everyone to do it in one language. This process was not only slow but also risky—miscommunication in safety protocols can have serious consequences.

Another example is software training for global teams. In many cases, the technical jargon doesn’t translate well, or the nuances get lost, making it hard for employees in different regions to grasp the same concepts. This often led to inconsistencies in skill levels across teams, which in turn affected overall performance and collaboration on top of cultural differences..

But here’s the thing—those days are fading. Now, with advancements in AI, we can smartly translate training materials, videos, and even quizzes in a way that feels natural and accurate like we do at Bonzai AI, all within a fraction of the time it used to take. We can ensure that every employee, no matter where they are or what language they speak, gets the same quality of training. It’s not just about translating words; it’s about ensuring understanding and inclusivity.

As the person behind the initial idea of Bonzai AI, I’ve lived through the pains of the creation process, so I’m often the one doing most of our demos. And here’s a funny, real-life story: we have clients around the world, but while everyone on our team speaks the same languages, it’s rarely the language of our clients. It’s not uncommon for a demo to start with the two words from the client, “No English.”

I’ll smile and say, “Ok, the system speaks your language,” and we proceed with the demo in their language of choice. Followed by my English Email translated to their language through Chat GPT. No joke, our demo form has “What country is your company located in?”for a reason. In those demo moments, I have no clue what the system has created—I can only judge by their happy faces and guess based on some words that are similar to English. It’s a new reality I never imagined I would live just two years ago, and yet here we are.

AI is really helping us break down these language barriers and create a more unified and effective workplace. We’re moving closer to a world where belonging isn’t just a concept—it’s a reality, one that’s becoming more accessible every day.

I am genuinely happy for all the people who didn’t have these opportunities before, but hey! Watch out! 

Don’t get lazy too quickly. Every coin has a flip side.