Your Client Wants AI Speech Translation? Don't Panic. Here's How to Deliver It (The Right Way).

If you’re a corporate client or an AV production company, drop in and learn the free way to get best-in-class AI speech translation for your next event. Let me know if you need help with the setup.

If you’re an entrepreneurial interpreter with your own direct clients, or a small LSP which doesn’t have technical development capabilities, this is your playbook for when a client asks about AI. Before the top-down decision was made by the client, make sure AIIC’s AI checklist (https://aiic.org/company/roster/companyRosterDetails.html?companyId=14022&companyRosterId=120) was presented, and a full review has been carried out. If as a result, the client would need to use AIST anyway this time, run with it.

Let's be clear: losing a job is serious, but losing a client is far worse. When the request for AI comes from the top, the smartest move is to become the expert who guides them through it, flawlessly.

We’ve all seen the aggressive marketing from various “AI speech translation” vendors. They make it sound like you need a complex, expensive platform for something as simple as projecting translated captions on a screen. The truth is, you can often achieve this with tools your client already owns, at no extra cost.

Good wine needs no bush. The best solution is often the simplest one.

First, A Crucial Caveat: Captions vs. Machine Voice

Before we dive in, we must address the elephant in the room: simultaneous speech translation with a synthetic voice. While technically possible, the user experience is often poor. The technology must wait for a full sentence to translate before speaking, creating awkward silences. To catch up, the speech can become unnaturally fast, making it hard to understand.

Therefore, this guide focuses on the most practical and widely used format: Live Translated Captions projected on a screen. It’s cleaner, more accurate, and far less disruptive. Certainly, it is not perfect, and reading translated captions on screen with backtracking is no easy feat, and you may feel like having developed Dyslexia yourself sometimes.

The Simplest Path: Microsoft Teams (You Probably Already Have It)

For most corporate clients, the solution is already in their software portfolio. With a Microsoft 365 Business Standard subscription (or higher) with a Co-Pilot License add-on, or a Business Premium license, you have access to live translated captions for over 50 languages.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Pro-Level Teams Captions:

1. The Audio is King: The #1 rule for quality AI captions is pristine audio. Do not rely on a laptop microphone. Setup: Route your mixer’s output (where the speaker's mic is connected) into a USB audio interface, then into the computer running the Teams meeting. This gives you a clean, professional-grade audio signal that the AI can understand perfectly.
2. Schedule and Configure: Schedule the meeting in Teams. In the meeting options, set the “Meeting spoken language” to the presenter’s language. This dramatically improves accuracy.
3. Go Live: Start the meeting. From the meeting controls, click “…More actions” > “Language and speech” > “Turn on live captions”. Participants (or you, on the projection laptop) can then click the “Caption settings” gear icon, toggle “Translate to,” and select their desired language (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin, German).

That’s it. You now have live, AI-translated captions running. For a simple bilingual setup, this is often all you need. The same principle applies if your ecosystem uses Google Meet with a Google Workspace Business Standard subscription.

Leveling Up: Multiple Languages on One Screen

What if you need to show the original language and one or two translations side-by-side on the same screen? This is where you can get creative without signing a costly vendor contract.

• The Hack: Set up multiple laptops (e.g., Laptop A, Laptop B). Each joins the same Teams meeting. On Laptop A, set captions to Language 1. On Laptop B, set captions to Language 2.
• The Production: Use free software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) to capture the caption areas from each laptop and composite them professionally onto your main screen projection.
• The Value: You’ve just built a custom, multi-language captioning system at near-zero cost, impressing your client with your ingenuity and saving them a significant expense.

When to Call a Professional (And Which One to Call)

The Teams method is powerful, but it has limits. What if you need…

• Custom, industry-specific vocabulary for higher accuracy?
• A more integrated, turnkey solution without the laptop/OBS workaround?
• Advanced features like moderation or analytics?

This is when you might look for a commercial provider. But be strategic. Avoid the heavily marketed RSI (Remote Simultaneous Interpretation) platforms that often over-promise and lock you into complex contracts. Their core business is interpretation platforms, not specialized AI translation.

Instead, if you need a professional solution, seek out providers who specialize purely in AI speech translation technology. Pure technology play companies like Wordly or Green Terp AI, are built specifically for this purpose, offering more refined vocabularies and seamless integration for events where "good enough" isn't good enough.

The Bottom Line for LSPs, Interpreters and Producers

As an interpreter, your value isn’t just in your linguistic skills; it’s in your counsel. By mastering these options, you can advise your client on the entire spectrum of language solutions—from human interpretation to the most cost-effective AI implementation. You transition from a vendor to an indispensable strategic partner.

For production companies, offering this as a value-added service makes you a hero to your cost-conscious corporate clients.

So, the next time an AIST request lands in your lap, don’t dismiss it. Master it.

If this guide was helpful but you’d like a hand with the setup or want to discuss a professional solution for a high-stakes event, my DMs are open. Let's navigate the future of language together.

Want to discuss this 1-on-1? Send me a direct message with “AI Speech Translation” and let’s talk.

‍