Code Switching as Localisation: Why AI Still Needs a Human Cultural Compass

By Dr. Stella Bullo

Introduction

Artificial intelligence promises speed and scale in global marketing. Teams use large language models to draft translations, taglines, and full campaigns. These systems produce correct sentences in many languages. They do not always produce resonance.

Authenticity often rests on subtlety. People mix languages in daily life. They blend registers and accents in ways that carry identity and status. This practice, known as code switching, can bring a message to life. It signals inclusion and cultural awareness. It also shows why human judgement still matters when brands communicate across borders.

Industry analysis from Nimdzi describes rapid adoption of AI in localisation and continued reliance on cultural expertise ^[N] .

In this piece I present code switching as a form of localisation. I also show where AI delivers scale yet misses meaning. I draw on examples from Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. I link those examples to classic work in sociolinguistics ^[L] .

Code Switching as Localisation

Localisation is more than translation. It is the act of shaping a message so that it lives comfortably in a culture. Code switching often serves this purpose.

In Argentina, high end brands place English terms into Spanish copy. A department store may present a collection as trendy or eco friendly. The choice is deliberate. It signals prestige and global orientation. When Kosiuko named a collection Between Worlds, the English title carried cultural capital along with meaning.

In the United Arab Emirates, Arabic and English live side by side in daily interaction. Brands reflect that practice in campaigns. Etisalat, for example, combines Arabic and English to speak to a young and cosmopolitan audience. Fast food chains transliterate product names into Arabic script. The effect is inclusion and clarity, with a local voice.

In the United Kingdom, style and accent also carry meaning. Companies now feature regional voices that once were absent from national advertising. O2 chose the Yorkshire actor Sean Bean for a national campaign. His voice brought authenticity and trust. You can see an example here

Where AI Falls Short

Generative AI produces fluent and standard text. That strength can become a weakness in marketing. Campaigns that rely only on AI often feel generic.

A model can translate an Argentine advert into impeccable Spanish. It does not know that a single English word can signal prestige in that context. A model can propose a clear Arabic message. It does not sense that Emirati youth sometimes use numerals in informal writing to represent sounds. These small choices carry social meaning. They separate messages that feel authentic from messages that feel manufactured.

Bias, Inclusion, and Representation

Language models are trained on large datasets. Those datasets often over-represent standard varieties. Dialects and hybrid styles are under-represented. As a result, outputs tend to flatten local colour.

Code switching restores balance. It mirrors the way people actually speak. It recognises identity claims and group belonging. Human localisation experts know when to invite a loanword into a line. They know when to keep a regional accent in a script. They protect inclusion while they improve clarity.

Global Trends and Current Context

Digital advertising in Latin America and the Middle East continues to grow. These are multilingual regions. Code switching is a norm rather than an exception. Brands that want to succeed in these markets need more than speed. They need cultural sense.

Across Europe, regulators are defining the boundaries for artificial intelligence. Teams that deploy AI without cultural oversight risk consumer backlash and compliance issues. The safest and most effective approach combines automation with human cultural competence.

Conclusion

Code switching shows that localisation is cultural work. AI can give reach and speed. It cannot decide when to use an English loanword in a Spanish advert. It cannot hear when a Yorkshire voice will carry trust in a national campaign. Those are human decisions. They rest on intercultural expertise.

The industry will continue to blend AI with human judgement. The companies that succeed will let AI handle scale while experts provide nuance. Code switching offers a clear example. It keeps messages alive inside the cultures they seek to reach.