Together 2025 Speaker Article: Part 9 with Renata Špukienė
What does it really take to thrive in the age of AI? How can we move past our AI-driven fears and concerns? At ELIA Together 2025, Renata Špukienė offered her perspective on navigating AI in our industry. In her session, she explored how localisation professionals can shift their fears and leverage AI not as a threat, but as a tool to improve workflows, empower teams, and enhance the value of human expertise. In this Speaker Article, Renata reflects on her key session insights and her overall experience at the event:
Overcoming AI Panic: Chapter 1
Attending ELIA Together 2025 in Barcelona was an incredible experience. It was inspiring to be surrounded by professionals from the localization industry, all eager to exchange insights, share challenges, and discuss the future of our work. I was honored to contribute as a speaker, sharing thoughts on a topic that resonates with many of us – AI in localization and how to navigate the rapid changes it brings.
During my session, “Overcoming AI Panic: Chapter 1”, I addressed the open question in our industry today: how will AI shape our work? The hype around AI is still everywhere. We do understand that it brings opportunities, but at the same time it also creates the feeling of uncertainty about the future. Many of us wonder—will AI really replace translators? How will it reshape project management? How do we stay relevant?
At Tilde, we’ve faced these challenges firsthand. Our journey into AI-driven automation has been both exciting and full of lessons. The key takeaway? AI should not be seen as a threat but as a tool – a partner that helps us focus on what truly matters. In our case, we applied AI to optimize project management workflows, reducing manual tasks for specific projects by over 50%. The result? Project managers now have more time for complex tasks, improved efficiency allows them to feel more like problem-solvers rather than robots, and overall team collaboration has strengthened. Additionally, automation has reduced the risk of human errors, ensuring smoother project execution.
Beyond my session, ELIA Together 2025 was packed with valuable insights. I loved Mirko Plitt’s inspiring keynote on the true value of translation, Tony D’Angelo’s engaging and practical session on custom GPT, and the open panel discussions on navigating uncertainty in the localization industry. The energy, enthusiasm, and openness of the attendees made this event a truly collaborative experience. The atmosphere was incredible – I haven’t seen so many smiling faces in a long time!
As we look ahead, one thing is clear—AI is here to stay. Instead of seeing it as a threat, we should focus on actively learning how to make it work for us. Our industry thrives on adaptation, and by integrating AI thoughtfully, we can shape a future where technology supports rather than replaces human expertise.
How have you handled the rise of AI in localisation and translation? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Renata via LinkedIn to continue the conversation!
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