A comprehensive approach to promoting innovation and sustainability in multilingual communication : the Digilinguo project

This presentation outlines the Digilinguo Project and its approach to promoting both digitalization and sustainable practices in multilingual communication. Funded by the Canton of Zurich Digitalization Initiative, the goal of the project is to harness the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) for overcoming language barriers, while safeguarding the indispensable human dimension of multilingual communication and in particular community interpreting. The project is built around three interconnected pillars. First, a test track offers a safe space to trial and critically evaluate new digital tools in practice-oriented scenarios. Second, an online platform provides tailored training for interpreting professionals, equipping them to integrate AI-assisted technologies responsibly into their work. Third, a series of meet-ups creates opportunities for dialogue and networking among stakeholders from research, education, practice, and policymaking, with the aim of co-developing sustainable strategies for multilingual communication in the age of AI. Digilinguo’s innovative strength lies in providing practitioners and other stakeholders alike with a framework to jointly explore, test, and reflect on the potential and limitations of digital tools. By combining professional training with structured dialogue among interpreters, public institutions, clients, policymakers, and technology developers, the project fosters collaboration across sectors. In doing so, Digilinguo seeks to demonstrate how digital innovation and professional practice can complement one another to advance digital transformation through an approach that values different voices and perspectives. Ultimately, the project seeks to strengthen the profile of community interpreting as a forward-looking profession—one that can lead in shaping ethical, sustainable, and human-centered standards for AI use. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the project’s structure and organization, discuss its current implementation in practice, and draw conclusions from our experiences.