KUDO built a transcription aid into its own interpreter console. Unicaption is a copilot that isn't tied to any platform. Both help. Where you work decides which one you should use.
Conference interpreters on KUDO now get live source-language transcription in their console. For the booth, that's a real step forward. Most interpreters, though, don't work on just one platform: a Monday on KUDO, phone interpreting on Tuesday, a Teams meeting on Wednesday. KUDO AI Assist helps inside KUDO; Unicaption goes wherever the call is. Once you know where your hours go, the choice is easy.
KUDO AI Assist is a feature of the KUDO multilingual meeting platform, not a standalone product. According to KUDO's announcement, it shows interpreters a real-time transcription of the source speech inside the KUDO interpreter console, or on a separate device such as a tablet, so they can confirm numbers, acronyms, and specialized terms mid-sentence. It's designed for simultaneous interpreting, and KUDO says it avoids distracting flicker and corrections.
KUDO made it available to platform users at no extra cost when it launched (check KUDO for current terms). That's a strong offer: if a client books you on KUDO, the aid is already in your booth and you don't need to set anything up.
Unicaption is an AI copilot you bring to every assignment. It reads your microphone or system audio, so it runs beside any platform: your agency's phone interpreting line, Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Webex, a VRI session, or an in-person conversation. Nothing joins the call, and no host has to turn anything on.
Captions appear live in 60+ languages with automatic detection, and the translation sits side by side with the original. A custom dictionary keeps your terminology from one session to the next, with medical, legal, and government vocabulary built in. It runs in the browser, as a Chrome extension, and as native macOS and Windows apps.
| Dimension | KUDO AI Assist | Unicaption |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A feature inside the KUDO platform | A standalone copilot for interpreters |
| Where it works | KUDO meetings and events | Any platform: OPI lines, Zoom, Teams, Meet, Webex, VRI, in person |
| Main job | Source-language transcription for simultaneous interpreters | Live transcription plus side-by-side translation for any interpreting mode |
| Translation | Transcription-focused; see KUDO for current features | 60+ languages, auto-detected, translation shown next to the original |
| Terminology | Designed to catch numbers, acronyms, and terms | Custom dictionary kept across sessions; built-in medical, legal, government vocabulary |
| Who controls it | Available on the KUDO platform the client books | You, on any assignment |
| Cost to you | Included for KUDO users at launch; check KUDO | 30 free minutes every week; plans from $9/mo |
Use KUDO AI Assist. It's already in the console, built for simultaneous work, and there's nothing to set up. Don't add another tool when one is already built in.
Unicaption covers the Zoom, Teams, and Webex jobs where KUDO's aid isn't available. See our guide to remote simultaneous interpreting.
Unicaption. Agency phone and video lines don't run on KUDO, and Unicaption reads system audio beside whatever platform your agency uses.
Unicaption shows the original and translation side by side, which helps when checking a term in the target language.
For every assignment that isn't in a KUDO booth:
KUDO AI Assist is a feature of the KUDO platform's interpreter console, so it helps when the assignment runs on KUDO. For phone interpreting lines, Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, Webex, or VRI sessions, a platform-independent copilot like Unicaption reads your system audio and gives live transcription and translation beside any call.
If you're working inside KUDO, its built-in AI Assist is the natural choice. If you work across platforms, Unicaption gives live transcription and side-by-side translation in 60+ languages beside any platform, with a custom dictionary kept across sessions and 30 free minutes every week.
Yes. Unicaption was built with over-the-phone and video remote interpreters in mind. It captures system or microphone audio next to your agency's platform, shows live captions with side-by-side translation, keeps nothing after the session, and offers 30 free minutes every week with no credit card.
30 free minutes every week. Works beside any platform.
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