AI translation with glossary support: Deterministic terminology for LLMs

AI translation tools, like those integrated into platforms such as Lokalise, face challenges in maintaining brand consistency and compliance due to the probabilistic nature of general-purpose language models (LLMs). To address this, it is crucial to implement a translation glossary that functions as a constraint layer, ensuring that brand-specific terms, technical jargon, and forbidden words are accurately represented across languages. This method prevents inconsistencies and non-compliant outputs by using machine-actionable fields within the glossary that dictate translation behaviors, such as marking certain terms as non-translatable or forbidden. Lokalise enhances this process by injecting relevant glossary terms into the translation workflow as structured context, allowing LLMs to generate deterministic, brand-aligned outputs. This approach not only reduces post-editing effort but also ensures brand consistency on a large scale, which is especially beneficial for companies expanding into multiple markets. The success of this strategy hinges on the careful creation and governance of the glossary, which must be regularly updated to reflect changes in brand terminology and legal requirements.