The challenge

In July 2024, W&B hosted its first meetup in Seoul. Korea had quickly become one of its top markets, and the team wanted to engage more deeply with local developers.

Co-founder Chris van Pelt led the session, covering topics like generative AI and LLMs.

While many attendees were comfortable with English, the technical depth made real-time understanding difficult. Terms like RAG and W&B Weave, along with fast-paced explanations, created friction.

Finding a local interpreter who could handle both the language and the technical content was also not practical for a small team.

The solution

W&B used Cuckoo as their real-time interpreter.

Minutes before the talk, the team added key terms like "RAG" and "Weave." Cuckoo adapted instantly and handled the session without additional setup.

By sharing a QR code, attendees could follow along with live transcripts and translations on their own devices.

Chris delivered the talk naturally in English, without slowing down or simplifying content. Cuckoo handled complex topics in real time, keeping the full technical context intact.

The team could also follow Korean-led discussions during the event, making the experience more interactive on both sides.

What's next

W&B used Cuckoo again the following week for a Tokyo event.

Next, Cuckoo will support W&B's largest APAC conference, providing English, Japanese, and Korean interpretation for 600+ attendees.

W&B is also using Cuckoo's Zoom integration to run multilingual meetings across the region.

For the APAC team, this means less time spent coordinating language and more time engaging with their community.