A staggering 72% of executives are gearing up to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their businesses by 2025, according to a new report from DeepL. The report, titled “The Language Revolution: How AI Improves the Way Businesses Communicate,” reveals that one-quarter of these leaders are specifically targeting AI for specialised tasks like translation.
DeepL, a frontrunner in global language AI, surveyed business leaders across EMEA and the US, revealing the transformative potential of AI in overcoming communication barriers as companies expand into new markets.
Businesses are reassessing their budgets, and allocation for AI integration will increase in 2025. Business operations (28%) and workplace tools (19%) are also receiving significant attention. Notably, the Netherlands leads with 30% of businesses committed to integrating AI across all operations, closely followed by Germany (29%), Belgium (28%), and the US (25%).
Communication barriers are a primary concern
A significant 35% of executives identified market expansion as a top challenge, with 32% struggling to engage customers across borders. Countries with multiple official languages, such as Belgium (45%) and Germany (41%), face difficulties in navigating these obstacles.
Jarek Kutylowski, CEO and founder of DeepL, said: “English has become the go-to language for international business, but the reality is that only about 20% of the world’s population speaks it fluently. This has a significant impact on global businesses and professionals – over half of C-level leaders spend more than an hour each day dealing with ineffective communication, a challenge that also extends to other management and leadership levels. To address this, what we’re seeing through our research is that businesses are increasingly turning to AI solutions.”
Language AI could be the solution for businesses looking to enhance communication and collaboration. Companies are increasingly merging AI solutions with human oversight, particularly in regulated sectors like legal and manufacturing, to tackle cross-cultural communication challenges. The report indicates that 32% of firms are utilising language AI alongside external translation agencies, while 31% are supporting their in-house translation teams with AI tools.
Companies in the Netherlands (31%) and France (25%) feel pressure to bridge language gaps between teams, according to a 2024 Forbes study. This reflects a broader trend: 50% of knowledge workers report being hindered by communication challenges.