Why AI is not the best translator
AI is a hot topic and seems to be gaining ground everywhere. Within the translation industry, it is tempting to reach for an AI tool for a quick translation, but this is exactly where graveconsequences of a mistranslated text may arise. Monique Voerknecht, the owner of Transferendi, shares her views on AI and the importance of accuracy.
AI is useful, but not for translations
"There is, indeed, no doubt that AI is broadening its capabilities as well as honing its skills. If you’re looking at a simple text in your native language, AI is often fine. Give it clear instructions and it is well possible that you receive a text that is quite usable. But even then, the text will need to be proofread and improved. Often the text feels woolly, complex or simply unnatural. ’This is exactly where ’the strength of humans lie: nuance, precision and language."
"With translations, it’s a different story. With a text in your own language, you can easily spot mistakes and correct them. But this becomes a problem in translations as they are not in your native language. Even if it seems pretty good at first sight, it may not flow. Maybe it’s a wrong choice of words, illogical sentence structures or inconsistencies. None of which will do your translation any good."
The Transferendi approach
"You cannot trust AI when it comes to sensitive documents, such as legal texts, employment contracts or manuals. Imagine an employment contract being translated by AI as: “In case of illness, you will gain a leave day” instead of “In case of illness, you will lose a leave day”. These are not mistakes that you can easily come back from. They may be small details, but they have big consequences."
"Our native translators know not only the language, but also the culture, rules and context. They pick out the nuances that AI cannot see. This is our strength: every translation is done by hand and gets the attention it deserves."
AI as a tool, not a replacement
"I regularly test new AI tools. But what I see is that consistency is lacking. My translators can immediately recognise machine translations. They often even say that it is faster to retranslate a text than to adapt an AI text."
"I believe that eventually, there will be a tool that is good enough. Who knows, I may start using it myself at that stage, though while maintaining strict quality standards. There is an ISO certification specifically for AI translations, which to me would be non-negotiable. But as things currently stand, AI is not where it needs to be for our industry."
“But as things currently stand, AI is not where it needs to be for our industry."
"I follow developments closely and am convinced that AI will improve in the short term. But for now, Transferendi remains faithful to manual translations with ISO certification. This way, we can continue to guarantee our customers that we will provide what really counts: quality, precision and accuracy."
A call to awareness
"My appeal to companies is to always have AI translations checked by a native translator. For internal texts, you may be able to turn a blind eye to a mistake, but not for external communication or sensitive documents. And let’s be honest, you ’wouldn’t trust AI with the technical manual of a machine, would you?"
"At Transferendi, we make sure every word is right and strikes the right chord. This is not something that should be lost in a translation. It is our responsibility to handle our clients' message accurately and carefully."
“From text to value.”
Transferendi helps companies with ISO-certified translations, carried out manually by native translators. Would you like to find out more about our approach?
