Local Government Case Study

How are local governments using AI translation?

Local governments are using AI translation to give residents real-time access to public meetings and services in their own language, usually on their own phones, without interpreters or special equipment. Common uses include translating city council, board, commission, and committee meetings, adding live captions and translation to livestreams and virtual or hybrid meetings, and supporting language access requirements so residents who speak a language other than English can take part. Because it runs live and on-demand across dozens of languages, AI translation lets cities offer consistent access at every meeting instead of scheduling interpreters one language at a time, and it keeps all residents together in the same room rather than separating them.

The City of Modesto, California is one example. With about 40% of its population identifying as Hispanic and many residents speaking Spanish and other languages, Modesto runs Wordly through Zoom to provide real-time translation and captions at city council meetings, so residents can follow along and participate in their preferred language.

Is having bilingual staff enough to make city meetings accessible?

Not on its own. Modesto first tried bringing more bilingual staff to council meetings, but the city wanted a consistent, technology-based solution that didn't depend on staffing each meeting or asking residents to make special requests in advance. About 40% of Modesto's population is Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and many residents speak Spanish along with other languages, so after hearing concerns from the community, the city council began searching for a better approach.

"Some solutions in the beginning was providing more people at the Council meetings that spoke other languages like Spanish," Modesto Deputy City Manager Scotty Douglass said. "But all the while we were searching for a more consistent solution that was technology-based."

They wanted a service that let residents read and listen to city presentations in other languages at live meetings so everyone could participate, without special requests before each meeting, and that worked for both in-person and virtual attendees.

Can a city add live translation to Zoom council meetings?

Yes. Modesto runs Wordly as a cloud-based live translation and caption service through Zoom, which pushes the meeting audio to Wordly and returns real-time translation and captions in dozens of languages. This enables residents who don't speak English to participate in city council meetings and promotes transparency and engagement between city management and residents.

"It's a cloud-based service we run through Zoom and it connects to this third-party service," Douglass said. "It essentially pushes the audio to this other service, and they take that audio that's in English in this case, and then it provides the option for translation."

Each participant can select their own language and listen to live translated audio or read AI captions on their own phone, tablet, or computer. The translation and captions are accessed through a QR code or website URL that lets participants choose their preferred language during the meeting.

How do you implement AI translation for city council meetings?

Modesto implemented Wordly through a structured three-phase rollout, moving from configuration to testing to a full go-live.

Phase 1: Configuration - 1 Week

• Modesto worked with Wordly to configure the Wordly system, including Zoom translation

Phase 2: Testing - 12 Weeks

• Created testing scripts and meeting scenarios
• Tested various languages, computer platforms, and browsers

Phase 3: Go Live - 4 Weeks

• Soft release
• Engaged community groups
• User surveys
• Advertised new capabilities on website, at meetings, and with a press release

What are the benefits of AI translation for city council meetings?

Wordly enables members of the community to join city council meetings and follow along in their preferred language through real-time translation.

“A lot of other cities are using people to do that service and most of them are doing that on a request basis,” Douglass said. “We wanted to be able to make this a consistent thing that we could do for our community.”

• Easy Implementation: No special hardware requirements (e.g., no sound booth, special headsets, etc.)‍
• Out of the Box Integration: Pre-configured Zoom integration for virtual sessions‍
• Fast Session Setup: Only takes a few minutes to set up for each meeting‍
• Broad Inclusivity: Select from dozens of languages with both audio and caption options‍
• Increased Accessibility: Captions provide access for attendees who prefer to read a live transcript during the meetings in English or other languages‍
• High Quality: The customizable glossary helps ensure names and other important terms are transcribed correctly‍
• Affordable: One price for captions, subtitles, audio translation, and transcripts – includes all languages‍
• Media Coverage: Positive coverage by local press and selected for an industry award

“We have a significant portion of our community that speaks Spanish, and then there’s others that speak many other languages,” Douglass said. “This is a service that allows them to see it in other languages as the meetings are live so that different people can participate.”

About Modesto, California

Modesto was founded in 1870 and is the county seat and largest city of Stanislaus County, California. With a population of over 200,000 people, Modesto is located 68 miles south of Sacramento and 90 miles north of Fresno. The city, in the San Joaquin Valley, is surrounded by rich farmland and home to many notable businesses.

About Wordly

Wordly is the pioneer and leader in live interpretation, providing a high-quality, secure, easy-to-use, and affordable live AI translation and caption solution for communicating across multiple languages. Wordly translates dozens of languages in real time, making in-person and virtual meetings and events more inclusive, accessible, and engaging.

Its SaaS platform meets enterprise-grade security and privacy standards and eliminates the need for human interpreters or special equipment. Millions of users across thousands of organizations rely on Wordly to make their events and meetings accessible to everyone.

See it in action – book a personalized demo.