Lilt is an interactive machine-assisted translation system for language translators. Lilt is based on machine translation and translator productivity research at Stanford University and Google. Co-founders John DeNero and Spence Green met while working on Google Translate in 2011. They shared an interest in human-in-the-loop translation systems that can make high-quality translation more efficient. They believed that better machine assistance could make translation more enjoyable for translators and more available for those who seek information.