{
  "id": 59575,
  "title": "23 languages, one I can check",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/23-languages-one-i-can-check",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-02T21:22:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Lobsters",
    "slug": "lobsters",
    "url": "https://jva.lol/weblog/23-languages-one-i-can-check/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Popsicle Boat, the popular app, now supports 23 languages besides English. The author, Jake, speaks two of these languages: English and German. He implemented gettext early on, ensuring every visible string in the app went through a translation function. However, he lacked the actual translations for languages like Arabic, Thai, Korean, Ukrainian, and others. To overcome this, Jake turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to translate the 1,500 strings in just an afternoon.\n\nThe potential issue with AI-generated translations is that they can't be checked by the creator. Jake can confirm the translations are in the correct language, but he has no way to verify if they are accurate or inappropriate until someone who speaks that language provides feedback. Despite this, Jake decided to ship the app with these AI-generated translations, starting with German, which he knows fluently.\n\nJake read through the German translation thoroughly, finding it to be good, not just technically correct. The tone and informal language matched what a German user would expect. While he may have phrased a few things differently, overall, the translation was satisfactory. This exercise proved valuable in reviewing user-facing copy, even in languages Jake doesn't know well.\n\nJake advises others interested in trying this approach to ship translations for lesser-used languages first, then personally check those they are fluent in. He believes this method can provide confidence in the overall quality of the translations, even when the creator doesn't know the language.\n\nJake expresses gratitude for the technology and its potential to be more than just a toy. He encourages readers to provide feedback on any translations that may read incorrectly, as the fastest way to address issues is through direct communication. He invites readers to join the conversation and share their thoughts on the AI-assisted translations.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}