Welsh Language Commissioner rules that adopting AI does not suspend Welsh language duties

The policy applies to every organisation subject to the Welsh language standards introduced in 2016, and sets out eight core principles covering equity, linguistic accuracy, transparency, accountability, privacy, responsible innovation, ongoing compliance and staff training. Osian Llywelyn, Deputy Welsh Language Commissioner and Director of Regulation, announced the policy alongside a panel discussion on Welsh language services and artificial intelligence held on the Bangor University stand, joined by practitioners including Osian Jones of the Centre for Digital Public Services.

Named non compliance risks include chatbots that open in Welsh then revert to English, machine translation of official documents without review by a competent Welsh speaker, voice recognition that underperforms in Welsh, and recruitment or training tools delivered in English only. Organisations are told to test systems in Welsh before deployment, to design bilingual services from the outset rather than building in English and translating afterwards, to question suppliers directly on Welsh support, and to keep records of the language used in AI assisted interactions.

The statement also frames translators as language strategists and AI editors rather than staff displaced by the technology, and is described as a living document that will be revised as AI use develops.

“The field of artificial intelligence is developing at a fast pace and is sure to fundamentally change how we communicate with each other and the world around us, while at the same time offering valuable opportunities to improve the services provided in Wales.”

For North Wales the substance of Welsh Language Commissioner rules that adopting AI does not suspend Welsh language duties sits in training and progression, and training in Wales fills easily at entry level, so the real measure is how many learners reach paid advanced data and machine learning work afterwards.

No figure has been disclosed alongside Welsh Language Commissioner rules that adopting AI does not suspend Welsh language duties, so the measure that counts in North Wales is recorded activity: training and progression showing up in hiring, contracts or published outcomes rather than in further announcements.

Bangor University carries the delivery risk on this one. Capability in North Wales concentrates around a small number of institutions and anchor employers, so what Bangor University does after Welsh Language Commissioner rules that adopting AI does not suspend Welsh language duties shapes where the related skills and suppliers settle.

Within government, Welsh Language Commissioner rules that adopting AI does not suspend Welsh language duties should be read against what the rest of the UK already has in place, because Welsh organisations compete for the same funding, the same suppliers and the same shortage of experienced AI staff.