Colleges Use AI to Translate, Caption Commencement Ceremonies

The State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego has adopted AI-powered captioning and translation tools to enhance accessibility at large events, including commencement ceremonies and orientations. Previously, the university relied on sign language interpreters and delayed livestream captions, which caused synchronization issues for in-person attendees. In December 2024, SUNY Oswego tested Wordly, an AI service that routes audio from the arena to a laptop, allowing attendees to access live captions and translations via QR codes or a direct link. Usage grew from just four users at the first ceremony to an average of 50 per event, with up to 70 attendees now engaging with the service. The university has expanded Wordly’s use beyond commencement, with 20 out of 1,000 freshmen utilizing the service during a fall welcome event. While SUNY Oswego still employs human sign language interpreters, AI translation provides an additional layer of accessibility for non-English speakers, who previously had no translation options for major gatherings. Tyrone Johnson-Neuland, assistant director of instructional technologies, noted that the service is particularly effective for events held in the arena, though the university is exploring broader applications, such as sporting events and classrooms. Similarly, the University of Southern California (USC) has integrated AI translation to address limitations in its human translation services. Before adopting Wordly, USC required attendees to request translations in advance, leaving many without support during orientation events. Since 2023, over 700 orientation attendees have used USC’s AI captioning and translation services, covering 18 languages, including Korean, Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Persian, and Tagalog. Wordly CEO Lakshman Ranthman highlighted that advancements in speech recognition and language processing now enable AI to translate meaningful phrases and sentence structures, mimicking human translation more closely than traditional word-by-word conversion. Despite improvements, challenges remain, particularly with idioms and abstract terminology. Ranthman explained that Wordly’s algorithms were developed over time to handle multiple languages by breaking sentences into meaningful chunks before translation. While not perfect, the technology has significantly bridged accessibility gaps for institutions like SUNY Oswego and USC, offering real-time support where human services fall short. Both universities continue to refine their use of AI, ensuring broader inclusion for diverse audiences at large-scale events.