Have you ever faced the daunting task of localizing hundreds of hours of training videos into multiple languages? At Welocalize, I’ve seen this challenge arise time and time again for global organizations that need to deliver accessible training to a multilingual workforce with limited budgets.

As AI-powered solutions become increasingly standard, our reliance on AI continues to grow, making processes faster, more affordable, and more flexible.

In this conceptual case study, I walk you through an example of how AI transformed video localization for a large tech organization, cutting costs by up to 86% and making training videos more accessible worldwide by creating bite-sized, multilingual recap videos with AI avatars.

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The Client

A leading global tech company needed to translate its extensive library of training videos into multiple languages to ensure accessibility for its worldwide workforce. However, the high costs and extensive timelines of traditional translation methods presented significant challenges, especially since many of these videos received minimal views, making it difficult to justify the investment.

The Challenge

Imagine having 100 training videos, each averaging 45-60 minutes in length, needing translation into 7 different languages. The estimated cost of translating the entire series would have soared to nearly $1 million. Yet, with only a handful of views per video, the return on investment seemed unjustifiable.

This scenario is a perfect use case for leveraging AI to reduce costs and timelines while maintaining the impact and accessibility of training content across languages.

The AI-Powered Solution

AI Recap Videos: Short and Sweet

AI-powered recap videos transform hour-long training sessions into condensed, digestible summaries of 3-5 minutes. These can be produced in multiple languages using AI-generated scripts and avatars. This approach dramatically cuts both time and costs while still enabling employees across the globe to gain essential training and knowledge.

By tailoring the length and content of each AI recap video to align with specific team needs, organizations can adopt a “mix-and-match” approach. This method allows different localization strategies based on each video’s value, prioritizing full translations for the most-watched content and opting for AI recaps for less-viewed material.

Introduce Fun and Engaging Avatars

Using AI-generated avatars eliminates the need for additional videos featuring real people. Avatars offer a quick and sometimes fun way to deliver learning content in multiple languages. However, to avoid misrepresentation, it’s crucial to use nameless avatars and, where relevant, incorporate disclaimers indicating that the synthetic avatars are not real people.

Cost Reduction: Up to 86% Savings

Traditionally, translating each hour-long video could cost around $10,000. The AI recap approach slashes this cost to approximately $1,500 per video, resulting in an impressive 86% cost reduction.

Projected Results

Massive Cost Savings

By switching to AI recap videos, the company could reduce translation costs by approximately 86%.

Efficient Content Access

Condensing each hour-long video into a 3-minute summary provides quick access to core information, enhancing engagement and promoting effective learning.

Flexible Localization

With AI recaps and custom workflows, organizations can prioritize high-value content, allowing budget allocation to the right resources efficiently based on each video’s viewership and significance.

Quick Turnaround

Shortened videos and AI-driven automation enable faster project completion, ensuring timely access to training materials.

Alternative AI-Enabled Solutions

If avatars are too much, too soon for your audience, there are other AI-enabled approaches that can achieve cost-savings of 40-60% compared to full video localization. Integrating AI tools like CaptionHub or Synthesia into the localization workflow offers another innovative solution. Captions, subtitles, on-screen text (OST), and voiceovers can be added to videos in multiple languages. Machine-translated captions can be post-edited by humans at the review stage, depending on the desired quality output.

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By integrating AI into global e-learning videos, organizations can significantly cut costs and save time while enhancing engagement and accessibility for their diverse workforces.

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