The language tax: Why AI skips your startup when buyers ask in Thai

AI assistants can now answer in multiple languages, including Thai, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesia. However, they only recommend companies that are present in the relevant language sources. Many startups do not have a strong presence in these languages, resulting in a language tax that affects their visibility. When asked for the best providers in Thailand, the results in English and Thai often do not overlap.

The startup that ranks high in English may disappear, and a Bangkok incumbent may take its place. This is due to the way models are built, which heavily depends on the language. The training data and the pages the models retrieve are skewed towards English, with a majority of language models being trained primarily on English or a few other major languages.

The consequence is that authority does not transfer between languages, and your startup may not show up in the Thai answer, even if it has a strong English presence. To fix this, local coverage and consistent information in the local language are crucial. This includes local profiles, industry roundups, analyst mentions, and surveys of local businesses.

By doing so, startups can ensure they are not invisible when buyers ask in their preferred languages.