Before Christmas, I was sent a report to read for work. It was in Finnish, and around 80 pages long. In that same week, I had a meeting with external stakeholders, all of whom were native-Finns, with experience speaking only Finnish in similar meetings. It was decided that for practical reasons, the meeting should take place in Finnish.
Both of these examples could be reasons given by companies on why they needed to hire a Finnish speaking candidate. Similarly, in the public debate they could be examples of when extra resources (paid for translations) or personal difficulty (having to speak a complex topic in English) occur at the workplace due to a lack of Finnish language skills from a foreign worker.
Using AI, it took me around fifteen minutes to turn that 80-page document into a good quality and concise summary in English. In that meeting, I used PowerPoint Live to translate the slides, and with Teams Premium was able to generate captions of spoken Finnish discussions in English. The captions are far from perfect, but combined with my okay Finnish, enough to let me follow.
The language debate is changing, but our discussion points about it are not. Whether it be across the media, or next to the proverbial office water coolers across the country, technology is being undersold. Technology can lower the language barrier, remove obstacles that hinder the recruitment of the best candidate, and be vital in the integration of a non-Finnish worker. In so doing, it can also make Finnish workers more comfortable with the transition to a bilingual workplace.
I am sure this is not new information for some already using it. Still though, if you are an international in a company, point out if this is something that will help you. Conversely, if you are an employer, look at what tools are available before making decisions.
Of course, there are some disclaimers. AI has obvious environmental, practical, and ethical concerns, and it cannot be the only solution without producing incorrect information. More so, there is the deeper question regarding what language means beyond communication.
There is an intricate tie between the language and the culture, history and way of thinking of a nation. Rather than use technology like this, should we not be doing more to encourage language learning, and with it, the learning of a culture? In so doing, wouldn’t we ensure the preservation of the language itself?
That is a discussion that needs to be had. Technology must be a part of the equation
Writer works at TEK as a Project Manager for International Experts.
Instagram: @tekforall
