# What Is Computer-Assisted Interpreting (CAI)? Tools in 2026

> Computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) is software that helps human interpreters, as opposed to machine interpreting, which tries to replace them. CAI started with glossary tools for prep. In 2026 it centers on live-call copilots that show real-time transcription, translation, names, and numbers on the interpreter's screen. Unicaption is one of these: live transcription with side-by-side translation in 60+ languages beside any call, a custom dictionary with built-in medical, legal, and government terms, and nothing stored, plus 30 free minutes every week.

Published 2026-09-27 · The Unicaption Team · Human-readable version: https://unicaption.com/blog/computer-assisted-interpreting-cai-tools.html

## CAI vs machine interpreting

|  | Computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) | Machine interpreting |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who interprets | A human interpreter | Software |
| What the software does | Shows transcripts, terms, numbers, and translations to help the interpreter | Listens, translates, and speaks or captions the output itself |
| Who is accountable | The interpreter | The organization deploying it |
| Where it fits | Medical, legal, government, and business interpreting | Low-stakes events, content, and self-service |

The two are often confused, and the difference matters. An agency asking "can I use AI on calls?" usually means CAI. A client asking "can AI replace our interpreter?" means machine interpreting. Our essay on [whether AI will replace interpreters](/blog/will-ai-replace-interpreters.html) covers the second question.

## Three generations of CAI tools

**1. Glossary and prep tools**
The first CAI tools managed terminology: build a glossary before an assignment, then look terms up in the booth. They're still useful for conference prep. InterpretBank is the best-known example.

**2. Booth aids with speech recognition**
Speech recognition let tools show a live transcript and flag numbers and glossary terms automatically. Some conference platforms now build this into their interpreter console, like KUDO AI Assist.

**3. Live-call copilots**
The current generation runs beside any call, whether phone, video, meeting, or in person, and adds live translation next to the transcript. Unicaption, Interpreter, and Intercall are examples. This is the generation built for community, medical, and legal interpreters.

## What a CAI tool actually does during a call

- **Captures speech as text** as it's spoken, so a half-heard word can be read back instead of reconstructed
- **Holds names, numbers, and dates** on screen: dosages, case numbers, addresses, the details that fall out of working memory first
- **Shows a translation** next to the original, so the interpreter can check a term in the target language
- **Recognizes terminology** from a dictionary or glossary, so drug names and legal terms come out right
- **Keeps notes** beside the call

Everything on that list helps with the same problem: [cognitive load](/blog/interpreter-cognitive-load-burnout.html). Interpreters listen, hold, convert, and speak at once, and numbers and proper nouns are the first things to slip.

## How to choose a CAI tool

- **Match it to your setting.** A booth aid helps inside its platform. A copilot that reads system audio helps on every platform.
- **Test on your own language pair and audio.** Every vendor's accuracy claim is measured on audio they chose. See [how to read word error rate](/blog/word-error-rate-explained.html).
- **Check what's stored.** For confidential calls, audio and transcripts shouldn't be kept after the session.
- **Check your agency's policy** on aids during calls before using any tool.

- ⚠ Tools that record calls by default, or keep transcripts on their servers
- ⚠ Compliance certifications you can't verify on the vendor's own site
- ⚠ Accuracy numbers with no language pair or test conditions attached

## Where Unicaption fits

Unicaption is a live-call CAI copilot. It's built for interpreters who move between phone lines, video platforms, meetings, and in-person work in the same week:

- ✓ **Live transcription** as speech happens, in **60+ languages** with automatic detection
- ✓ **Side-by-side translation** to check terms in both languages
- ✓ **Custom dictionary** kept across sessions, with medical, legal, and government terminology built in, plus a notepad
- ✓ **Beside any platform**: microphone or system audio; nothing joins the call
- ✓ **Nothing kept**: end-to-end encrypted, audio never stored, transcripts deleted at session end, never used to train models
- ✓ **Browser, Chrome extension, macOS and Windows apps**; **30 free minutes every week**, no credit card

> For a side-by-side look at the main CAI tools, see [the best AI tools for interpreters in 2026](/blog/best-ai-tools-for-interpreters.html).

## Frequently asked

**What is computer-assisted interpreting?**
Computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) is software that helps a human interpreter during their work, such as glossary tools, live transcription, and live translation beside a call. It differs from machine interpreting, where software produces the interpretation itself. Unicaption is a CAI copilot that shows live transcription and side-by-side translation in 60+ languages beside any call.

**What technology do interpreters use in 2026?**
Interpreters use remote interpreting platforms for phone and video calls, glossary tools for prep, and increasingly live-call copilots that put transcription and translation on screen during calls. Unicaption is a live-call copilot that runs in the browser, a Chrome extension, and macOS and Windows apps, with a custom dictionary and 30 free minutes every week.

**What are examples of CAI tools?**
Examples include InterpretBank for glossary management, KUDO AI Assist inside the KUDO interpreter console, Cymo Note for transcripts, glossary highlighting, and notes, and live-call copilots such as Unicaption, Interpreter, and Intercall.

**Is using a CAI tool on interpreting calls allowed?**
It depends on the agency or client, so check their policy on aids first. For confidentiality, choose a tool that stores nothing. Unicaption encrypts sessions end to end, never stores audio, deletes transcripts at session end, and never uses session content to train models.

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*[Unicaption](https://unicaption.com) is a real-time AI captioning and translation copilot for human interpreters — live captions and translation in 60+ languages, end-to-end encrypted, nothing stored. 30 free minutes every week, no credit card required.*