Humans and AI in translation: striking a nice balance

Striking a balance when using AI in translation

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in translation and content generation is on a fast track, impacting how we work in countless ways. But there's one important thing to remember: AI is a tool, not a replacement for human intelligence, especially when it comes to translation. 

At Attached, we believe in harnessing the power of AI to support human capabilities. In this blog post, we’ll explore how humans can best put AI to work and delve into the advantages and challenges. 

AI as a translation tool 

Let's take a specific example: AI-supported human translation. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of text, helping to identify patterns, suggest alternative phrasings and pre-translate basic sentences. This frees up human translators to focus on the nuances of language, cultural context and creative expression – areas where human expertise remains unmatched. 

This type of collaboration is happening in fields like law, writing and design. AI acts as a valuable assistant, automating repetitive tasks and providing insights that humans can then leverage to deliver results that meet client expectations. 

Advantages and Challenges of Integrating AI  

There are benefits to using AI alongside human intelligence in localization. Here are a few key advantages: 

•   Increased efficiency: AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time and resources for more strategic endeavors.
•   Enhanced accuracy: AI can analyze vast amounts of data, identifying patterns and trends, leading to improved decision-making, for example, which markets to focus on or what specific types of content to produce.
•  Global reach: AI translation tools can help break down language barriers, fostering communication and collaboration across borders.

However, it's important to acknowledge the limitations of AI: 

•  Lack of creativity: AI struggles with tasks that require imagination, emotional intelligence and cultural understanding. 
•  Bias and fairness: AI systems trained on biased data can embed those biases in the output, such as systemic racial or gender biases. This can create mistrust and disconnect in marginalized groups. Careful monitoring and human oversight are crucial. 
•  Ethical considerations: As AI becomes more sophisticated, ethical questions around privacy and environmental impact need to be addressed proactively. 

Is there a balance between Humans and AI? 

There isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this question. In some scenarios, AI can perform routine tasks with accuracy. For example, AI can pre-translate basic instructions or product descriptions effectively with little intervention from translators. We can leverage "AI to human" interactions for tasks where AI provides valuable data and insights, while reserving "human to AI" control for tasks requiring creativity, intuition and ethical judgment. 

On the flipside, there are some types of content that AI is not recommended for, such as highly creative marketing content or microcopy, like slogans, taglines and headers. HTML formats with a high degree of coding need to be first analyzed and tested in conjunction with AI before deciding on its use. This means that working closely with a translation agency like Attached is invaluable.  

As AI development continues to accelerate, we can expect even deeper levels of collaboration between humans and AI.  

We can unlock a future filled with incredible possibilities. Here at Attached, we're committed to using AI responsibly, ensuring humans remain in the lead. 

Reach out to one of our experts if you’re interested in learning how to best implement AI into your translation process. We’re happy to help.