[GALA ACADEMY] Audiovisual Translation in the Age of AI

Session 1: Legal Frameworks for AI-Generated Speech in Audiovisual Localization

9 September 2025 - Time: 07:00am - 8:30am PDT (4pm - 5:30pm CEST)

In this session Simona Lavagnini (LGV Avvocati) and Cristina Contini (Voiseed) will address the legal developments shaping the future of AI-generated speech and voice cloning in localization. 

We’ll compare regulatory approaches across the USA, Europe, and China, covering key topics such as copyright law and training, consent and data usage, ownership, and the responsibilities of LSPs working with synthetic voices and generative AI tools.

Session 2: Opportunities and Challenges in AI Multimedia Localization: Insights From Industry Experts

16 September 2025 - Time: 07:00am - 8:30am PDT (4pm - 5:30pm CEST)

In this session, Michael Anderson (Welocalize) and Ralph Jung (Dell Technologies) will discuss how AI is transforming multimedia localization and creative workflows.

The session will cover...

• Best practices for translation buyers

• The evolving roles of linguists, voice actors, and localization team members in multimedia production

• How AI enables scalable, high-quality multimedia localization and handles segmentation challenges to ensure cultural relevance in localized videos

• Effective QA processes that go beyond linguistic accuracy

• How AI-assisted transcription, error correction, and AI-driven captioning and dubbing tools can be integrated into existing localization pipelines.

Session 3: The Future of Dubbing: AI, Ethics, and Global Reach

23 September 2025 - Time: 07:00am - 8:30am PDT (4pm - 5:30pm CEST)

This session explores the full spectrum of AI-powered dubbing: from automating the entire pipeline to preserving performance and cultural nuance. 

Ralph Jung (Dell Technologies) and Volker Steinbiss (AppTek) will be discussing how AI can automate the process for using the right voices, adapting scripts, handling audiovisual constraints and emotion, and where human oversight still plays a critical role. This session offers a practical look at the strengths and limitations of AI dubbing. 

The two will tackle the balance between speed, cost, and quality, explore ethical concerns like consent and authenticity, and examine how AI can adapt content for diverse cultural and linguistic contexts. AI is powerful, but where does human input still matter? Discover what it takes to successfully automate the dubbing process with AI.

Session 4: Scaling With Strategy: Budgeting for Audiovisual Translation in an AI-Driven World

30 September 2025 - Time: 07:00am - 8:30am PDT (4pm - 5:30pm CEST)

As the use of AI in audiovisual translation continues to grow, so too does the pressure to deliver high volumes of content quickly and cost-effectively. For translation companies, clients, and linguists alike, this shift calls for a more strategic approach to budgeting and production. In this session moderated by Cristina Contini (Voiseed), Mark Jones (Comtec Translations) will discuss

• how aligning translation effort with the purpose and importance of each type of content can help teams manage costs without compromising quality.

• ways to tailor workflows, pricing models, and quality expectations based on content type, visibility, sensitivity, and impact. 

Drawing on examples from real-world projects, the session will highlight how this approach creates opportunities for more flexible, efficient, and sustainable audiovisual translation—benefiting every stakeholder in the process.  

Moderators

Cristina Contini is a localization expert with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry and a Master’s in Translation. She began her career as a Project Manager in 2006, later expanding her expertise as a freelance translator in the audiovisual and publishing sectors. In early 2022, Cristina joined Voiseed as Voice Manager, where she was in charge of client relations, product demos, and workflow optimization, earning her promotion to Chief Operating Officer in 2024. As COO, she aligns market demands with product innovation, oversees client onboarding, and collaborates with technology teams to tailor solutions to client needs. Cristina's strategic mindset and hands-on leadership drive operational excellence and support Voiseed’s growth in the evolving localization and technology landscape.

Ralph Jung grew up in the Netherlands and now lives in Dublin, Ireland. He started his career as a Dutch localization specialist at EA Games in Germany. He later moved to Dublin, Ireland to join the team of in-house software localization engineers at Microsoft, where he played a key role in localizing the popular Windows XP operating system into Dutch. Following his departure from Microsoft, he spent some time working as a freelance translator, before joining Yahoo! as a cross-market lead editor for multilingual search engine advertising campaigns. After a brief stint at eBay, he became an Account Manager for a local search engine in Berlin. Back in Dublin, he has been with Dell Technologies for the past 11 years, where he established the video localization program for product launches on Dell.com, which has since been extended and adapted to fit the needs of many other teams. As part of his job, he developed a patent in the area of video localization, which was granted by the US Patent Office in 2019. Ralph currently holds a consultant position within the Dell Global Translation Team, where he focuses on enhancing the company's capabilities in the areas of localization and accessibility of video, interactive media and SEO.

Speakers

Simona Lavagnini is a founding partner of the LGV Avvocati law firm in Milan, specializing in intellectual property. Admitted at the Supreme Court, she deals with consultancy in litigation and non-litigation matters for national and international clients, with particular focus on copyright, new technologies, trademarks, patents, design, unfair competition. Simona holds a PhD in industrial law and taught copyright and advertising law from 2011 to 2021 at the University of Pavia, Italy. In 2023 she was elected President of the Italian Group of AIPPI, after serving many years in the Executive Committee and as Secretary. She is a regular speaker to events as well as contributor for law reviews and books. In 2023 she was also appointed as a member of the Milan Bar Antitrust and IP Committee. In 2024 and 2025 she received the Managing IP award as Italy Practitioner of the Year (Law Firms). Since years she is constantly ranked in Chambers Europe and Global, Italy, Band 1: Intellectual Property: Copyrights; in Legal 500 as leading partner in IP, Italy.

Michael Anderson is an accomplished eLearning & Multimedia Solutions Owner at Welocalize, leading strategy and innovation while focusing on customer success since January 2013. With a strong background in multimedia, Michael has over a decade of experience managing global teams and delivering projects, including high-quality eLearning content. Previous roles include Creative Director at Del Grande Dealer Group, where Michael developed multimedia content for social media, and Director of Video Production at Manderson Media, overseeing commercial and corporate video projects. Michael's expertise also spans feature film direction and cinematography, with experience at companies such as Drum Channel and lynda.com. Michael holds a Bachelor of Arts in Motion Picture from the Academy of Art University.

Volker Steinbiss is the Managing Director of AppTek GmbH. His substantial experience in human language technology goes back to the late 1980’s when he helped pioneering large-vocabulary continuous-speech recognition at Philips Research. In the 90s, he was instrumental in Philips creating three worldwide first speech recognition products: name dialling on the handheld cell phone SPARK; the professional 20,000 word continuous-speech radiology dictation system SP6000; and the Philips mixed-initiative telephone-network based train inquiry system. Mr. Steinbiss next became interested in statistical machine translation in the 1990’s, and later with speech translation. As a staff member of RWTH Aachen University, he managed a project within the 200+MEUR French-German Quaero program (2008-2013). With his company Accipio Projects GmbH, he was the coordinator of the speech translation project EU-BRIDGE (2012-2015), at the time the largest EU-funded integrated project in human language technology. Mr. Steinbiss holds a degree in mathematics and a PhD from Göttingen University, and was a scholarship holder of the German National Merit Foundation and of the French Government.

Mark Jones is Head of Technology at Comtec Translations, a UK-based, B-Corp certified Language Service Company. He has worked in the localization industry for over 10 years in a variety of roles, from Project Manager to Account Manager, and now oversees technology research, development, strategy, and implementation at Comtec. During his time at Comtec, he has developed specialist expertise in translation technology, helping to shape their solutions around Machine Translation and Generative AI. He is the leading authority on all things tech and is often found extensively testing new technologies to support their clients, linguists, and partners. Mark believes in striking a balance between human expertise and AI-based solutions to deliver impactful, fit-for-purpose translations consistently. Embracing technology and understanding how it can enhance workflows, along with building strong working partnerships, are key drivers in his approach.