Lost deals or lost words?

Cohere just launched something called Command A Translate. Sounds fancy, right? But in plain English, it’s just an AI that takes words in one language and spits them out in another. Except Cohere swears it’s not your average “hola = hello” kind of thing. No, this one’s dressed up in a three-piece suit and built for businesses. Think translating 80-page contracts, medical forms, or compliance reports, not your cousin’s Facebook post about tacos.

Now, you might be thinking: “Big deal, I already have Google Translate on my phone.” True, but here’s the problem: Google Translate is fine for ordering wine in Paris, not so great when you’re negotiating a billion-dollar merger. Imagine your contract getting mistranslated and suddenly your company “agrees to sell” instead of “agrees to buy.” Oops. Lawsuit city. Cohere’s pitch is: we’re accurate, we’re private, and we won’t embarrass you in front of your foreign business partners.

What are they really trying to do? Simple: take on the giants. They’re gunning for Google Translate, DeepL, OpenAI, and DeepSeek. Cohere even claims they beat them in quality tests. That’s like showing up to karaoke night, grabbing the mic, and out-singing Beyoncé while Google’s still humming in the background.

Google’s great for postcards and memes, but Cohere is saying, “Step aside, tourist apps, this is grown-up business.” And DeepL? Sorry, buddy, you’ve had your moment. Cohere’s “Deep Translation” is basically saying: “Your depth isn’t deep enough.”

But why should you care? Well, if you’re a CEO, this could save you millions in legal drama. If you’re a VP or exec, it might keep your board from asking why your compliance docs read like bad fanfiction. If you’re a Manager, it’s fewer late nights copy-pasting text into sketchy free apps.

If you’re just an employee, congrats, you can finally email your overseas coworker without sounding like a malfunctioning robot. And if you’re just a regular American, this is the difference between a doctor translating your medical report correctly or telling you that you’re allergic to water.

Bottom line: language equals money, reputation, and trust. Cohere’s betting that businesses want a translation tool that doesn’t act like a drunk tourist with a phrasebook. And if Google or DeepL start slipping? Well, there’s a new kid in town, and they’re not here to translate your menu; they’re here to steal your contracts.

You’ve probably laughed at a bad translation meme online. Now imagine that same ‘oops’ happening in your medical records, your paycheck, or your company’s global contract. Still funny, or suddenly terrifying?

- Matt Masinga