Steven Bartlett, host of the globally popular podcast “The Diary of a CEO,” revealed at the World Economic Forum in Davos that AI-powered translation has been the most transformative technology for his business. Speaking during the “What it Takes to Build” panel on Tuesday, Bartlett emphasized that translating his podcast into multiple languages using AI has had a greater impact than any other business decision.
The British entrepreneur explained that the initial motivation was accessing untapped global markets. “If we’re just in English, we’re reaching like 10% of the world,” Bartlett noted, highlighting the massive opportunity represented by non-English speakers. What began as an “expensive experiment” has evolved into a core business strategy that fundamentally changed the podcast’s reach and audience composition.
The technical challenges were significant. Bartlett described how different languages use varying word lengths, meaning a three-hour English conversation could become substantially longer when translated, creating synchronization issues between audio and video. To solve this problem, Bartlett’s team hired a full-time data scientist two years ago who helped achieve a technological breakthrough enabling AI translation into “EVERY language.”
The results have been remarkable. Today, the AI system allows videos to show Bartlett speaking Spanish in a voice similar to his own natural tone. The impact on audience demographics has been dramatic: “This month, 28% of my audience is Spanish,” Bartlett revealed at Davos. This means Spanish-speaking audiences now have access to interviews with high-profile guests including former First Lady Michelle Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris, entertainment mogul Simon Cowell, and psychologist Jordan Peterson.
The podcast’s success validates the AI translation strategy. According to Spotify’s “2025 Wrapped” press release from December 2025, “The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett” ranked as the platform’s second-most-listened-to podcast globally, trailing only “The Joe Rogan Experience.” On YouTube, the podcast channel has amassed 14.5 million subscribers. While Bartlett did not elaborate on the specific AI tools or technical details of how the translation system works, the business impact speaks for itself, demonstrating how AI-powered localization can unlock international markets for content creators.
Key Quotes
There’s nothing more important than what we’ve done for our business than translations. Period.
Steven Bartlett made this emphatic statement at the World Economic Forum in Davos, underscoring that AI-powered translation has been the single most impactful business decision for his podcast empire, surpassing all other technological or strategic initiatives.
If we’re just in English, we’re reaching like 10% of the world.
Bartlett explained the fundamental business problem that motivated his investment in AI translation technology—the vast majority of potential podcast listeners globally don’t speak English, representing an enormous untapped market opportunity.
This month, 28% of my audience is Spanish.
Bartlett revealed the dramatic impact of AI translation on his audience composition at Davos, demonstrating that more than a quarter of his current listeners now consume content in Spanish, a language segment that barely existed before implementing AI translation tools.
Our Take
Bartlett’s case study provides compelling evidence that we’re entering a new era of AI-powered content globalization. What’s particularly noteworthy is his willingness to invest in what he called an “expensive experiment” before the technology was proven—a calculated risk that has clearly paid dividends. The hiring of a dedicated data scientist suggests this wasn’t simply plugging into an off-the-shelf solution but required custom engineering to solve complex synchronization and voice cloning challenges. The 28% Spanish-speaking audience metric is remarkable and likely represents just the beginning, as other language markets open up. This success story will undoubtedly inspire other content creators to invest in similar AI translation capabilities, potentially accelerating the development and refinement of these tools. The competitive advantage Bartlett has gained—being the second-most-listened-to podcast globally on Spotify—demonstrates how early adoption of AI localization can be a market differentiator in the increasingly crowded podcast landscape.
Why This Matters
This story represents a significant validation of AI translation technology’s commercial viability and transformative potential for the content creation industry. Bartlett’s success demonstrates that AI-powered localization isn’t just a novelty—it’s a business-critical tool that can fundamentally reshape audience demographics and market reach. The fact that 28% of his audience is now Spanish-speaking, up from essentially zero before AI translation, shows the massive untapped global market for English-language content.
The implications extend far beyond podcasting. Content creators, educators, businesses, and media companies worldwide face the same challenge: the vast majority of potential audiences don’t speak English. Traditional human translation and dubbing are prohibitively expensive and time-consuming for most creators. AI translation that maintains voice characteristics and handles synchronization challenges could democratize global content distribution, allowing smaller creators to compete internationally.
This also signals growing maturity in AI voice cloning and translation technology. The ability to translate while maintaining the speaker’s vocal characteristics and managing technical challenges like audio-video sync represents sophisticated AI application that’s now production-ready for commercial use.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/steven-bartlett-diary-of-a-ceo-davos-ai-translation-business-2026-1