LocWorld 2025 shows the rising need for inclusivity in localization

Making localization more inclusive is one of the most urgent challenges facing the localization industry today.

Global access to digital content has never been broader. Yet too much of that content remains inaccessible to people who don’t speak dominant languages. Although more than 50% of the web’s content is in English, only 16% of the world’s internet users actually speak English.

From students in rural villages to frontline workers in multilingual communities, people are being asked to learn, work, and thrive in languages that aren’t their own. The result is a growing gap between content availability and true understanding.

But localization can do more than adapt content for global markets. It can help remove those barriers altogether.

That belief took center stage at LocWorld 2025, where Ji-Yan Wu presented Centific's approach to smarter, more inclusive video localization, as part of the Process Innovation Challenge.

The Process Innovation Challenge is platform for innovation with real-world impact

The Process Innovation Challenge is a long-running feature of LocWorld. Each year, the event showcases new ideas that aim to move localization forward, whether by rethinking a workflow, applying emerging technologies, or expanding access. Finalists are selected in advance, and each one is invited to pitch their idea to a live audience of localization professionals, who vote for the winner.

Ji-Yan’s pitch began with a simple idea: understanding shouldn’t be a luxury. He showed the audience a common but often overlooked problem. Students in underserved regions are increasingly being asked to learn from online videos that are not localized to their languages or dialects. When there are no subtitles or voiceovers, or when translations are overly literal, students struggle.

And when students don’t understand, they don’t learn.

The problem isn’t limited to education. Many public health agencies, nonprofits, and training organizations face the same challenge, struggling to scale multilingual video content quickly, affordably, and with a high degree of quality. Traditional approaches to video localization are slow and expensive, often putting smaller markets out of reach.

Ji-Yan introduced a solution designed to change that.

Build AI models to translate meaning, not just words

Centific Flow, the AI-powered video localization tool, as presented by Ji-Yan, focuses on understanding context. It begins by analyzing the intent of a video and producing translations that carry the right meaning, not just a word-for-word equivalent.

The platform generates voiceovers that sound natural and human. It detects and replaces on-screen text, such as subtitles or signage, and automatically synchronizes visual and audio elements.

This combination of features allows teams to work more efficiently while maintaining control over quality. Human reviewers stay involved throughout the process, refining translations and making culturally appropriate decisions.

But the automation layer dramatically reduces the amount of manual work required. What used to take days can now be completed in hours.

One of the key advantages of this approach is flexibility. The tool can support a range of use cases (from formal training content to informal creator videos) and a wide range of languages, including regional and minority dialects. This opens new possibilities for content owners who want to reach audiences that have traditionally been overlooked.

Localization tools can be designed with scale and inclusivity in mind

As Ji-Yan explained during his presentation, the potential applications are far-reaching:

• A school district could localize its entire video curriculum into regional languages.

• A health organization could distribute multilingual videos to frontline workers across different provinces.

• A creator on a global platform could connect with viewers in places they’ve never reached before.

But the broader impact goes beyond scalability. By making it easier and more affordable to localize video, we lower the threshold for inclusion. Languages that were previously left out of localization efforts can now be part of the process from the beginning. And as more people gain access to content in their own language, the quality of learning, engagement, and trust improves.

That’s what resonated most with the audience at LocWorld. Ji-Yan’s pitch was about more than features or speed. It was about what happens when more people are able to understand, participate, and grow. It was about what localization can achieve when we prioritize equity and access.

Centific proudly recognizes Ji-Yan's role in winning the Process Innovation Challenge

Ji-Yan winning the Process Innovation Challenge is a meaningful milestone. It reflects not only the quality of Flow but also the values that guide our work. We’re proud of Ji-Yan and the team behind the platform, and we’re honored to be recognized by peers who are deeply invested in the future of localization.

As we continue developing our video localization technology, we’re keeping that original vision in focus. Build for scale, yes. But build for inclusivity first. Because the more people we reach, the more meaningful our work becomes. Smarter localization is a way to build a more connected world.

Learn more about Flow, Centific’s localization platform.