From the UN to you-and-me: our progress towards a language-accessible world?

As we gear up for another United Nations General Assembly in New York City, I can't help but reflect on how far we've come in the past decade. It's amazing to think that 10 years ago, my team and I were double-checking every system, every signal, and every security protocol at the UN Headquarters. We had spent years rebuilding the entire technology infrastructure across 20 conference rooms, and in that moment, it felt like all the pieces were finally coming together.

This project was more than just a technical upgrade. It was personal. It took me from my home in San Francisco to New York, away from family and friends, to work on something that felt truly meaningful. I was incredibly proud of the work, the challenges we overcame, and the team that made it all possible. But amid all this excitement, a question kept coming back to me: Why stop at just upgrading conference rooms? What if we could take language accessibility beyond these four walls? What if we could create a platform where interpreters—no matter where they are—could help bridge language gaps?

That question stayed with me for years. It’s what led me to found KUDO in 2017, with the vision of bringing truly multilingual communication to the world—conversations that anyone, anywhere, could access in their own language. We spent 18 months developing the KUDO platform, refining it to not only deliver multilingual experiences but also to integrate security features, electronic voting, and a dedicated interface for interpreters. And then, just as we were gaining traction, the pandemic changed everything.

What was initially a challenge quickly turned into an opportunity. Organizations had to move meetings and events online overnight. Suddenly, what we had been building for years was exactly what the world needed. Our Interpreter Booking Marketplace took off, and demand grew faster than we could have imagined. Despite the initial skepticism and fear that platforms like KUDO might drive down rates or reduce the role of interpreters, the opposite was proven true. Human interpretation is still very much in demand and thriving. Human interpretation remains vital, and in fact, it’s thriving. We’ve seen monthly revenue growth for human interpretation of up to 14% this year, and usage[ of our Interpreter Marketplace rose by 20% between 2023 and 2024.

The rise of AI in language accessibility has only added to the excitement. AI isn’t here to replace human interpreters; it’s here to open new doors and make language access more widespread than ever. Since launching KUDO AI, we’ve been amazed by how quickly it’s been adopted in spaces we didn’t even foresee. From weekly town hall meetings and corporate training sessions to houses of worship using speech-to-speech AI for their services, the possibilities keep expanding. Local governments are using AI to communicate effectively with their diverse communities. The world is becoming more connected, and language is no longer a barrier—it’s a bridge.

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One of the most inspiring things for me has been watching AI and human interpretation work side by side. There’s no conflict between them—each has its role. AI is fantastic for speed and accessibility, especially for impromptu or day-to-day meetings and events. But when it comes to complex, high-stakes situations, human interpreters bring nuance and precision that AI is still learning. Both are growing, and together they’re reshaping the way we connect with one another.

As I reflect on these last ten years while continuing this journey towards a truly language-accessible world, I feel more hopeful about the future than ever. The pace of AI development is astonishing, but what’s even more exciting is the doors it’s opening—for individuals, businesses, and entire communities. The world is more connected than ever. As we push forward with AI, human interpretation, and everything in-between, we are breaking language barriers that have held people back for far too long, and creating opportunities that didn’t exist before.

Imagine a future where you are free to carry out 100% of your work emails, calls, and daily meetings in the language you’re most comfortable with; imagine visiting another country and finding that every public building and leisure is equipped with live speech translation allowing you to find your way around and converse fluently with locals; imagine picking up the phone to check in on your overseas clothing or jewelry order and being able to speak back-and-forth with their Customer Care Team thanks to integrated speech translation technology. Together, we are shaping this future where everyone has the power to participate, no matter what language they speak.

As for today, I’d like to wish all my former technical colleagues and interpreters at the UN a successful week ahead. ?It’s the 79th general assembly and yet there are still so many important global topics to address—with everyone discussing them in the language of their choice.