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The translation industry has seen a lot of change with the rise of machine translation and translation software. But how will this affect the need for work as a translator? In this article, you'll find out how AI-powered translation software and translators are developing simultaneously to form two industries - one that is going strong and one that will soon be obsolete.
How does AI help translators?
A machine learning software automatically performs a series of translations based on a corpus of the translated text. This means the machine can learn from past translations and improve its accuracy over time. This is especially useful for translating long texts or complex language pairs, where humans would struggle to remain consistent.
However, there are some potential drawbacks to using AI-assisted translation software. For one, it can be expensive – especially if you want to use a more sophisticated algorithm. Additionally, finding accurate human translators when needed can be challenging, and AI can be less authentic and slower than traditional methods in these cases.
So should translators switch to using AI-assisted translation technology? On the one hand, it can help translate longer pieces or complex language pairs. However, AI translation isn't as accurate as one might hope, and it's still 60-90% accurate. Because of this, one can't solely rely on machine translation.
When will you need AI for translation?
Are you looking for an AI to help with your translation needs? Or are you more comfortable hiring a translator?
Because business communication is much more complicated and takes place within formal settings, much depends on how you communicate with your customers, customers from other businesses, and employees. You won't be wrong to say customer loyalty and trust depend on effective business communications. And AI alone isn't going to help you achieve that, especially when its accuracy rate is poor. At least for now, its ability to overcome cultural differences and linguistic barriers appears doubtful.
However, if one goes for machine-assisted translation prompted by its speed and affordability, human-done machine translation post-editing services (MTPE) for businesses might render it just as good as done by human experts.
AI vs. Translators: What's The Difference?
An AI can help automate and improve your translation process, while a translator has a human-based approach and can provide greater accuracy and precision. However, the two have some key similarities: both can be expensive, time-consuming, and require specialized skills. So, if you're looking for a fast solution or want someone who will be able to provide years of service, an AI might seem like the best option for you.
Pros and Cons of AI Translation
Pros:
Easily accessible
The advantage of AI translators is that they are easy to use and readily accessible. With these AI-driven digital tools, you can easily translate words and sentences from a foreign language to your native tongue with quick results.
Quicker results
Translating written or spoken words very quickly with AI and artificial neural networks leverage advanced AI and artificial neural networks. It is becoming easier for AI text translators to translate languages and deliver the first draft quickly and automatically. Regarding faster translations, AI is unbeatable, and it can translate hundreds and thousands of words instantly, saving you time and effort.
Free options
A wide variety of free machine translation engines are available for instantaneous translation. With robust neural machine translation systems and impeccable natural language processing (NLP) capabilities, you can use Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, DeepL, and other tools based on artificial intelligence. To enhance the capabilities of "free" options, you must purchase paid add-ons.
Cons:
Accuracy issues
Machine translations aren't 100% accurate; they're fast but not accurate. They lack cultural understanding and contextualization abilities. As a result, they often misinterpret metaphors and idioms. Businesses that sell products or services abroad require linguistic accuracy. When it comes to healthcare and prescriptions, it is an absolute necessity.
Picking up wrong words
A machine translation tool fails to translate idioms and other cultural expressions, resulting in a literal translation of the phrase. Research shows that machine translation software mistranslated 46% of Chinese idioms.
Contextual understanding
Software translation has not yet advanced to the point where it can comprehend the context and literal meaning, so software-translated content often does not make sense to the reader. On the other hand, only a human translator can tweak content if a word, phrase, or idiom in the target language does not have an alternative word or idiom. When taken out of context, words lose their meaning.
Human translators: pros and cons
Pros:
Understanding requirements
Businesses and individuals can communicate directly with translators who understand your needs and provide tailored translation services in human translation. You cannot express your requirements to a machine! Assigning qualified translators also ensures consistency, so you and the translator are on the same page.
Accurate than AI
It is not enough to translate words; human translators also translate them into the target language by understanding their meaning, context, tone, and emotional meaning. As a result, the original intended purpose is preserved no matter the language into which it's translated. Plus, human translators bring natural fluency to the translated text, and readers won't be able to tell which text is the source text. A human translator ensures the brand's reputation and avoids embarrassing mistakes.
Cons:
Expensive than AI tools
Human translations are more expensive but produce 100% accurate content with tone and emotion that a machine can't understand. Machine translators leave inconsistencies between translated languages that humans can capture and improve. As there is human intervention, one can sense some logic in the translations. All of these carry a price.
Delivery time
A professional human translation process usually requires a day or two to work on documents. Depending on the language, the task, and how technical or scientific it is, turnaround time may vary from 2,000 words per day to as long as two weeks. Simply put, human translation is a tedious process with a lengthy turnaround.
Will AI replace human translators?
AI has been around for a while now and will play a significant role in the future of translation. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument, but ultimately it seems like there is room for both AI and translators to continue working together.
On the one hand, AI can improve translation accuracy and speed and help you find new, more accurate translations. On the other hand, translators are essential to ensuring that the translations are accurate and idiomatic, and they can also provide feedback on the AI translations to improve them.
Overall, it seems like translation will continue to be an essential part of the future, and both AI and translators will have a role to play in its continued success.
Lingual Consultancy Services is a professional translation service provider offering the best translation and localization services using the collaboration between human translators, Computer-Aided translators, and Translation Memory Management Tools with the best glossaries. With a pool of more than 16000 translators/interpreters/transcribers across the globe, we provide professional translation services in the industry in more than 250 languages. The experienced team at LC efficiently translates business documents, marketing materials, legal contracts, medical documents, etc.
Contact us today to get started.
