behind those languages, there’s still a gap. And for global brands and creative agencies, that gap matters.
AI has changed how quickly teams can create, translate and adapt content for international audiences. What once required lengthy production processes can now begin with a prompt, opening up new possibilities for global communication.
But as AI becomes more multilingual, a bigger question emerges: are we creating more culturally relevant content, or simply expressing the same cultural perspective in more languages?
Speaking the language is only half the job
Consider the English expression “stealing someone’s thunder”. Translating those words literally could leave an international audience wondering what the weather has to do with anything.
Google highlighted this example when introducing improvements to Google Translate in December 2025. The company explained how its Gemini models use context to produce more natural translations of idioms and local expressions.
It’s a useful example of how AI translation is improving. But understanding an individual expression is only part of what makes communication culturally relevant.
For brands and agencies, the challenge extends to humour, emotional expression and creative messaging. A campaign headline might retain its literal meaning while losing the personality that made it effective.
A playful slogan could sound confusing, while a confident message might become too aggressive. Identifying these differences requires more than checking whether the translation makes sense. It requires an understanding of how audiences respond to language within their own cultural context.
Why multilingual AI can favour one cultural perspective
AI models learn from vast amounts of information, but that information doesn’t represent all cultures equally.
Research published in PNAS Nexus in 2024 examined five GPT models and compared their responses with international cultural values surveys. Researchers found that the models tended to reflect values associated with English-speaking countries and Protestant Europe.
This matters because culture influences how we communicate. Attitudes towards authority, personal achievement and social relationships can shape the language audiences expect brands to use.
Even when AI generates content in another language, it may retain communication patterns associated with a narrower set of cultural values.
For international campaigns, this creates a challenge that linguistic accuracy alone cannot solve. Understanding whether a message feels appropriate, persuasive or natural to a particular audience requires cultural judgement.
And that’s where experienced, in-market linguists and cultural specialists become essential.
What this means for brands and agencies
For brands, cultural differences can influence how audiences respond to product messaging, customer communications and global campaigns.
A consistent brand identity requires more than repeating the same message across markets. Brands need to understand how their personality and values should come across to different audiences, without losing the identity they’ve worked to establish.
For agencies, the challenge extends to protecting creative intent.
Humour, tone and cultural references often form the foundation of a campaign. When AI adapts content without accounting for these elements, the final message can lose the qualities that made the original idea effective.
Research published by Appen, examining multilingual AI translation across more than 20 languages, identified recurring difficulties with idioms and puns in marketing copy. Even widely supported languages such as French and Spanish presented challenges.
These findings highlight why creative localisation requires specialist expertise. An experienced linguist can understand the intention behind the original content and work with creative teams to find an approach that resonates within another culture.
Sometimes that means changing the wording. Sometimes it means rethinking the expression or creative execution while protecting the idea behind it.
For brands and agencies working internationally, this level of cultural understanding helps ensure campaigns retain their impact across markets.
The next challenge for multilingual AI
AI developers continue to improve how models interpret context, idioms and cultural differences.
In February 2026, Google introduced additional translation features designed to help users understand alternative expressions and choose language appropriate to different situations.
Research also continues to explore the cultural values reflected in AI-generated responses and how prompting can influence those responses.
These developments will give brands and agencies more powerful tools for multilingual content production. But technological improvements alone cannot guarantee that a message will connect with its intended audience.
Cultural relevance requires an understanding of the audience, the creative intention and the expectations that shape how people interpret communication.
That’s why human expertise remains central to effective localisation. Specialist linguists and in-market creative professionals can assess the nuances that AI may overlook, make informed adaptation decisions and help protect the original message.
As AI capabilities expand, brands and agencies will need that expertise to turn multilingual output into communication that feels authentic to each market.
Keeping the human at the heart of localisation
At Creative Translation, we combine AI capabilities with a global network of experienced linguists and cultural specialists to help brands and agencies communicate across markets.
Our approach puts human expertise at the heart of localisation, helping protect the meaning, tone and creative intent behind every message. From adapting global campaigns to navigating cultural nuances, we understand that effective communication depends on the people and cultures behind the language.
AI can help us work faster and at scale. Our specialists bring the cultural understanding and creative judgement that give the work its meaning.
Because reaching an audience in their language is only the beginning. Making that message resonate takes people who understand the culture behind it.
Make your global content resonate.
Whether you’re adapting a brand campaign or protecting a creative idea across markets, Creative Translation can help you get it right.
Get in touch at info@creativetranslation.com.
