DeepL: 83% of Companies Lag in Adopting Language AI

Artificial intelligence is permeating every aspect of business, yet translation processes largely remain manual. This is the core finding of DeepL's 2026 report titled "Borderless Business: Transforming Translation in the Age of AI," published on March 10. Despite significant investments in AI across various business functions, language and multilingual operations that touch sales, legal matters, customer support, and global expansion remain the least automated part of the enterprise technology stack.

According to the report, 35% of international businesses still rely entirely on manual translation processes, while another 33% use traditional automation combined with systematic human review. Only 17% have implemented next-generation AI tools, such as large language models or agentic AI, for multilingual operations. This means that 83% of enterprises have not transitioned to modern language AI capabilities, despite investing in AI across other parts of the business.

The volume of enterprise content has grown by 50% since 2023, yet 68% of companies still depend on workflows built for a different era. Jarek Kutylowski, CEO of DeepL, stated plainly, "AI is everywhere, but efficiency is not. Most companies have deployed AI in some form, yet few achieve real productivity at scale because core workflows remain designed around people, not systems."

The significance of language AI is evolving into a crucial infrastructure for businesses. DeepL's research indicates that global expansion is the top driver of language AI investment at 33%, followed by sales and marketing at 26%, customer support at 23%, and legal and finance functions at 22%. These are mission-critical business functions, not peripheral tasks.

Further research from DeepL conducted in December 2025 found that 54% of global executives believe real-time voice translation will be essential in 2026, a substantial increase from 32% today. The UK and France are leading in early adoption with 48% and 33% respectively, while Japan lags at 11%, highlighting significant disparities in enterprise readiness across different markets.

DeepL now serves over 200,000 business customers across 228 markets. At the AI & Big Data Expo in London in February 2026, Scott Ivell, vice president of product marketing at DeepL, mentioned that the company has 2,000 clients globally deploying AI agents for report analysis, sales targeting, and legal document review.