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 the fact 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.
