A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Hurghada, Egypt. It was the perfect balance between relaxation and exploration, with time to unwind as well as to visit famous places like the Valley of the Kings.

When I travel, one of the things I enjoy most is talking with locals. I believe it’s one of the best ways to truly understand a different culture, beyond what guidebooks can offer. On this trip, I had the chance to become friends with a guy who works at the hotel where I was staying.

The challenge was simple: he spoke only Arabic, and I don’t speak the language at all. In the past, this would have limited our interactions to gestures, smiles, and perhaps Google Translate. Even then, communication would have been slow and fragmented, selecting the language, tapping the microphone, reading the translated text, switching languages, and repeating the process over and over again. This time, however, things were different. Thanks to ChatGPT and its voice feature, we were able to have almost real-time conversations without any friction. Whether we were in the hotel bar or walking down the street, we could talk freely, ask questions, share stories, and actually understand each other.

I’m already imagining a future where local LLMs can perform at the same level as today’s cloud-based models, and where a simple smartphone can unlock conversations that were once difficult or even impossible. In that world, access to understanding wouldn’t depend on bandwidth, subscriptions, or geography.

As a self-taught developer and a self-taught English speaker, this resonates deeply with me. I know firsthand how difficult learning can be when language is a barrier. That’s why I’m particularly excited about how LLMs can help people unlock knowledge whether it’s learning a new language, acquiring technical skills, or simply asking questions without fear or friction.

Used responsibly, these tools don’t replace effort or curiosity; they amplify them. And for many curious people, that amplification could be the difference between being excluded and being empowered.

Habibi ❤️