The Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (LUVN for short) serves 470,000 residents in Espoo and nine other municipalities in Uusimaa, Finland. Its staff consists of nearly 10,000 professionals, and the organization is responsible for healthcare, social services, and emergency services in the region.

In spring 2024, LUVN launched an AI program with strong staff involvement. Interpretation services quickly emerged as a promising area for AI implementation, leading to a pilot project with Túlka’s AI interpreter.

Challenges with Traditional Interpretation

Human interpretation posed several challenges:

● High costs, prompting the need for more sustainable solutions.
● Availability and neutrality of interpreters varied, affecting service quality.
● Privacy concerns in sensitive client interactions.
● Inconsistent interpreter quality, ranging from excellent to poor.

Solution: AI Interpretation with Túlka

LUVN partnered with Túlka to pilot AI interpretation. Túlka has been providing traditional interpreting services to the LUVN for several years, so it was natural for them to pilot the market's first secure AI interpreting service with a trusted provider. AI interpretation was first piloted by maternity clinics and social services units.

The implementation included:

● Careful selection of user groups with sufficient interpretation volume.
● Training and onboarding facilitated by Túlka.
● Close communication and reporting of results from Túlka

Change management and strong internal leadership was central to success. Staff were engaged in discussions about the financial impact, e.g., If a unit saves, for example, 50,000 euros per year in interpretation costs, that money could be used to hire a new nurse. This helped build understanding and commitment, even when initial use felt unfamiliar.