by Caridad Batista | 21 Nov, 2023 | Machine Translation, Translation agency, Translation Service Providers
In today’s society, artificial intelligence algorithms are the next big thing, and they continue to take the world by storm.
Currently, in the UK, the AI market is worth £17 billion, and it is reported that this figure could rise to over £800 billion by 2035.
Furthermore, the UK has twice as many AI-based companies as any of its European counterparts.
For many people, time is money, and efficiency is key.
With AI systems increasing the rate of productivity, they are playing a pivotal role in our society, as their software produces automated responses at a much greater speed; therefore, they are starting to replace previous conventional methods.
For better or for worse, artificial intelligence has affected all industries and sectors, with the translation industry being no exception.
Nowadays, almost everybody is familiar with, or understands how to use AI translation tools such as Google Translate, ChatGPT, and DeepL, but how much can we rely on these tools to create the perfect translation for your project?
Contextual understanding
Human language is not as simple as math, in that there is not one definitive answer, but multiple possibilities and potential options.
Furthermore, no two languages are the same, and each has its own sentence structure, grammar, style, and idioms.
Machine translation finds it extremely difficult to understand the context within a text, and cannot easily grasp the cultural nuances of either the source or target language.
Despite providing output for your workload at a much faster rate than human translation, AI translation tends to contain common mistakes and lacks accuracy and precision.
A study carried out by the Economist revealed that poor communication delayed projects by 44%, or left them incomplete as a result.
Moreover, 18% of the study’s participants experienced a loss of sales due to a lack of precise communication with their clients.
Machine translation tends to automatically generate a direct or literal translation of the source text, which can cause a few problems.
What makes sense in one language, can be utter gibberish in another.
For example, when HSBC Bank tried to advertise its “Assume Nothing” campaign worldwide, it encountered several issues.
Instead of appropriately translating it into various languages, it opted to translate its slogan using an AI translation tool, resulting in a translation signifying “Do Nothing” in many languages.
This major error caused the company to spend $10 million on a new campaign, where they eventually changed their slogan to “The world’s local bank”.
Since AI translation has the inability to identify different contexts, it can cost businesses a lot of money, but with BeTranslated’s expert translation and localisation services, you can rest easy knowing this will not happen to you, ensuring you maintain a fruitful relationship with your clients.
Adaptability to different types of text
There are various types of translation, for instance, you can have sworn translations, legal document translations, the translation of a travel brochure, or even a user manual.
The translation processes for these documents differ, and the model and requirements for each are not the same.
At BeTranslated, we have a team of highly skilled and experienced translators in a wide range of fields, available to assist you with any translation needs you may have.
Consistency in document types such as legal documents or user manuals is essential, and this is where AI translation can let you down.
AI translation often tries to use different variations of words, meaning that the document is not coherent, and therefore difficult to follow, or incorrect, which can be a significant issue regarding its importance, as well as the implications caused as a direct result of the poor translation.
The value of having a human translator that has extensive knowledge of an industry, alongside the culture of the target audience, cannot be understated.
This expertise and skill that you require for your project cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence.
If you want to effectively communicate with your target audience and make a lasting impression, don’t waste your time using AI language tools, hire a professional translation agency to assist you, giving your translated content a human touch.
Cultural sensitivity
When translating any text, your primary focus should be adapting it for the desired target audience.
A human’s expertise is significantly better equipped to deal with this, compared to its technological counterpart.
For instance, something as simple as colour can have very different connotations and meanings amongst other cultures and countries.
If we take the colour red for example, it has a wide range of significance for various communities.
In the UK, we associate red with love, passion, or even aggression, but in China, it is associated with happiness and luck.
On the contrary, in South Africa, it is a symbol of sacrifice, violence, and bloodshed, with the colour appearing on the national flag, to serve as a reminder of the sacrifice made by many South Africans in the fight for independence.
When carrying out a translation process, a human can take into consideration the cultural significance of your message for your target audience and can alter it accordingly, whereas AI translation is incapable of doing this.
Choosing a human translator to carry out a translation and localisation process gives you security, and ensures that your brand’s message is accessible and relatable for your target audience.
In a global market, there is no room for error, and when reaching out to an international market, you have to demonstrate an understanding and awareness of their culture.
User experience and trust
When it comes to translating your documents, our team of industry experts at BeTranslated will work with your team, and support you throughout the process. We will provide you with translations of the highest quality, and meet your requirements, as well as those set and demanded by the industry.
In comparison with machine translation, human translators with expertise in a designated field will have a far greater understanding of complex industry terminology and jargon used.
Furthermore, unlike AI translation applications that can occasionally store and use your private information, at BeTranslated, we keep your sensitive information confidential throughout the translation process.
With our SEO expertise, we can adapt any text, allowing our consumer research to improve your visibility on Google.
Unlike AI translation, we can offer you a wide range of professional translation services, providing you with a speedy service, that will propel you towards success, and will allow you to gain prominence and trust amongst your clients.
Why automated AI translation is a costly mistake
Despite automated AI translation being efficient and significantly more advanced than before, it still falls short in terms of the quality it provides, compared to that of a human translator.
AI translation tools can be helpful when trying to quickly understand the meaning of a message, but when it comes to creating an accurate and reliable translation, don’t waste your time using this cheaper alternative, as in the long run it will cost you more money, and affect your reputation and your brand’s image amongst clients.
Contact us today to find out more about our cost-effective professional translation services, and get a free, no-obligation quote.
by Marian Gomez | 13 Feb, 2023 | Human translation, Machine Translation, Translation tools
Will machine translation replace humans in the translation industry?
Let’s take a look at the translation trends for 2024 and see if we can answer this question.
Translation is becoming increasingly important in today’s social and economic climate. While countries have established trading routes between their settlements for centuries, the world has only moved towards globalisation relatively recently.
Companies have now extended their reach beyond the country where they established their headquarters, making communication in different languages a legitimate necessity.
The world’s governments also have an obligation to communicate effectively with one another, and doing so implies not only grammatical and lexical correctness, but also looking closely at the nuances of words and phrases alongside awareness regarding the cultural aspects of language.
As such, the need for high-quality translations has increased over the years and shows no signs of decreasing in importance.
Moreover, much like other industries, technology has a vital role to play.
Tech innovation is also on a continuously ascending path. There is no way to accurately predict its exact direction, only that it continues to evolve and shape the landscape of the industries associated with it.
However, failing to keep up with technological change is a drawback for companies as it means that you can fall behind your competitors.
And while there are some unfortunate events, such as infringements, that make you eligible for data breach compensation, there’s no denying the importance of technology.
Here are the latest trends in the translation industry to be aware of, as well as the ways in which their application will change the translation ecosystem.
Machine translation
It comes as no surprise that machine translation has gradually increased in importance and is currently one of the most prominent trends in the translation industry.
Machine translation is a rapidly growing field that uses computer algorithms and software to translate text from one language to another.
With the advent of advanced technologies and machine learning techniques, machine translation has come a long way since its inception and has revolutionised the way we communicate with people who speak different languages.
It is an automatic process that uses artificial intelligence to translate text automatically. The process is entirely digital and can operate without human intervention.
It is complex and there are several different aspects to it which include:
- RBMT: Rule-based machine translation is perhaps the most classical approach to the process. The translation is conducted based on grammatical rules and syntactic, morphological and semantic characteristics.
- SMT: Statistical machine translation focuses on statistical models created following the analysis of both mono- and bilingual data. After the patterns are completed, the system uses statistical distribution to determine the most probable translation.
- Neural Machine Translation: This process uses AI to learn languages and translate texts. This approach uses neural network tools to estimate the likelihood of a set of words in a given sequence.
- Hybrid Machine Translation: HMT integrates multiple techniques within a single system. Translators choose this method because, on its own, no paradigm can achieve optimal accuracy.
While AI-powered translations have been continuously developing and will continue to do so, the process is still not sufficiently attuned to the particularities and intricacies of language to provide perfect translations on its own.
However, it can help speed up the process for professional translators.
In the current economic environment, after businesses suffered significantly as a result of the pandemic, company owners aim to achieve optimal business turnaround and recover from this period of poor performance.
High-quality translations are an essential part of the process.
Pre-editing and post-editing in the translation industry
Just as machine translation software can help professional translators achieve a higher standard, human translators can also improve the tech-based process.
The process of pre-editing involves correcting any mistakes, whether in grammar, spelling or punctuation.
Removing any ambiguities and simplifying structures can also help the programs operate more efficiently.
In the case of post-editing, the machine translation output is reviewed in order to remove linguistic or semantic errors.
First, light editing is focused solely on the correct meaning. The second step, full post-edit, emphasises stylistic issues and aims to achieve a high-quality level comparable to human translation.
Specialised translations
Across all business sectors and industries, the demand for personalised experiences has constantly been growing.
Companies are no longer localised to a single area, as even small businesses aim to extend their area and reach a global audience.
However, to do this, correct translation solutions are needed to help you adapt and localise your content to new cultures and audiences.
Target consumers cannot be reached with the same strategy across the globe.
The process of transcreation is one of the most important factors here. The translator is tasked with conveying a business’s original marketing to a new audience, which means that virtually anything can change, including product names and labels.
The only thing that must remain intact is the original intent.
Choosing this marketing approach is beneficial for businesses, and those that acknowledge it will have an edge over their competitors.
Growing demand
One of the most critical trends in the translation industry this year is that the field itself continues to grow. This trend is due to increases in both international trades and the world population.
These societal changes have considerable implications for global issues such as climate change, environmentalism, discrimination, food insecurity, medical concerns, and economic vulnerabilities.
As governments and companies reach out to one another to create solutions to these challenges, translations are becoming more important than ever.
However, it is more appropriate to say that the demand is for high-quality, specialised translations.
Nowadays, anything that falls short of expectations is likely not going to stand a chance against its competitors.
SEO
Good translations are one of the building blocks of a strong business. Since marketing is essential, SEO has become increasingly valuable.
Multilingual SEO is even more sought after by business owners for its potential to expand a company’s international online presence.
This includes on- and off-page strategies and technical SEO tools to optimise the process.
Translations have existed for the better part of written history.
Rather than decreasing in importance, they are becoming more and more valuable, with technology helping make the process faster and more efficient.
by Michael Bastin | 3 Jan, 2020 | Translation tools, Human translation, Machine Translation
Although in most cases professional, human translation is the best choice for translation needs, there are occasions when machine translation tools can produce a good enough result.
Rapid advancements in technology mean that, as long as the text doesn’t contain many nuances or cultural references, translation apps can be used without much issue. (more…)
by Michael Bastin | 25 Sep, 2018 | Multilingual, Machine Translation, Technology
After major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) over the last few years, a second generation of chatbots has emerged.
With innovative multilingual abilities, it’s now possible to converse with multiple nationalities with just one piece of software.
So is it time for your business to join the multilingual chatbot revolution?
The lowdown on chatbots
According to Chatbots Magazine,“a chatbot is a service, powered by rules and sometimes artificial intelligence, that you interact with via a chat interface”, and the chances are you’ll already have come across one.
They’re popular with online businesses such as Starbucks and Mastercard, but many others have taken up the technology.
What does a chatbox actually do? Well, they’re mainly used for customer interaction, but also have recruitment purposes.
You’ll typically “chat” with them through a web-based application or a standalone app.
The computer programme simulates a conversation after it recognises key terms. While this was primitive until recently, the aforementioned AI advances mean chatbots now offer a beneficial prospect to businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Intrigued? You can read this WordStream article for a detailed analysis of how they work, or read on to find out more about the latest innovations.
Multilingual chatbots have changed the game
Until recently, an online user from, for example, Brazil wouldn’t find a chatbot on a UK site capable of conversing in their native Portuguese.
They’d either have to know English or communication would come to an end. But businesses now have the lucrative prospect of using a single chatbot that can understand a wide array of languages.
And by this, I mean hundreds, complemented with the capacity to respond to queries in a relevant, useful, and sales-driven manner.
Seems too good to be true? Well, it’s a reality, a state of affairs that could well make the chatbot, unknown to the business world just a decade ago, indispensable.
o long as your business plans to expand beyond a local market, of course. If it does, then the technology could lead you to greater things.
Parlez-moi, s’il vous plaît
In an increasingly interconnected world, multilingualism has now grown as an important business factor. And why shouldn’t your doors open for interested consumers from across the world?
Language barriers and a lack of the right technology have held business back for decades, now we have the technology to overcome such boundaries.
Natural language chatbots can even receive training on customer intent; it’s possible to expand an existing model to have multilingual abilities – “train” it, essentially, to learn new languages.
One example can be seen with IBM Watson. As the company explains: “The chatbot identifies the intent to return a response. Before the response is seen by the user, [the chatbot] will translate the response to the language in which the question was asked.” And it can continue to learn from there; a “forced glossary” increases the accuracy of translations.
You can customise the glossary as you learn more from interactions with customers, making you adaptable to your customers’ needs.
Expanding into an international market
If this new technology has convinced you that now is the time to reach out to a wider, international audience, remember that making this big step is about much more than chatbots.
When expanding overseas, you’ll have to consider your market carefully. You’ll need to shift from a local to a global perspective.
But if this is all sounding ideal for your business, there’s plenty to consider. While multilingual chatbots are cost-effective compared to hiring an entire phone department, they still cost money to develop.
This is if you choose to create a bespoke chatbot for your business; you can turn to ready-made chatbots. This makes the process more cost and time-effective, but you will lose out on the individuality involved in a bespoke design.
What are the bonuses involved?
In summary:
Reach a wider audience
You can connect with customers from different nationalities and effortlessly communicate with them. You can also grow your following, increase sales targets, and advance your business.
Increase customer satisfaction
There’ll be no more confused emails between varying nationalities.
Cost-effective
There’s no need to hire native-speaking customer service specialists. Your software will handle the job for them 24/7.
Future-proof
Train your chatbot and adapt it to your industry’s needs. A few multilingual errors? You can update your chatbot to constantly deliver better customer service.
Ready to chat?
Introducing a multilingual chatbot across the 10 most widely spoken languages has far-reaching potential. It could help your business reach millions of new customers.
You could create an impressive customer service department—all with one chatbot, but the decision rests with you.
Do you take up the technology and try to steal an advantage on your competitors? Or do you wait a few years for the development costs to come down and the technology to become ultra-streamlined?
Either way, it’s a fascinating development for the online business world.
It’s setting new precedents and suggesting we’re heading towards a future where your sales strategy will consider dozens of nationalities. As a prospect, it’s unprecedented.
As you contemplate expanding into international markets, and all that that entails, consider how a professional translation agency could assist you in your mission.
Experienced native translators who are specialised in niche markets such as construction translation, like those working with BeTranslated, can be relied upon to provide a consistently accurate service.
If you have questions or want to request a free, no-obligation quote, get in touch today.
