If you’re like me, you use a computer for work. Throughout your workday, you use lots of different software to help you complete your work and keep your organization humming along. While new tools, versions and features are released at a fairly regular clip, helping with anything from managing people to analyzing data, more recently we’ve seen more and more software include translation as a feature. And chances are you’ve seen it too: offering AI-powered translations at the click of a button. I mean, it sure sounds sexy. But is it really the right move?
We freely admit that AI translation tools can be a valuable asset for certain tasks; yet, professional translation providers like, ahem, Responsive Translation continue to offer several key advantages for your organization.
Hands down, AI translation tools currently lack the human touch and nuanced understanding that only professional translators and linguists can bring to the table. While AI translation tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated, AI has an especially hard time with humor, sarcasm and irony, often missing them completely, and with specialized vocabulary and terminology that stray from the mainstream.
No matter what you need translated, professional translation providers like Responsive Translation have valuable insights into your source content and the content’s target market, offering creative solutions and adapting the message to meet specific audience needs. Professional translation providers are in on the joke in a way that AI just isn’t yet.
Speaking of jokes, professional translation providers know when a good joke can translate well, and when it can fall flat or even be offensive and should be replaced with something else instead. Professional translation providers with teams of experienced linguists are well-versed in the specific cultural sensitivities of different countries, regions, cultures and groups, and they’re more attuned to what will and won’t trigger a social media firestorm at your organization’s expense. Which sounds like a lot of PR cost savings to me.
What is your organization known for? When your organization has worked hard at maintaining a strong brand identity, it deserves at least an extra eye or two watching out for it and keeping the creative fires alive. (Or if you don’t think so, I hope you and your colleagues have your PR team on speed dial.) Professional translation providers like Responsive Translation can help ensure that your translated content aligns with your organization’s tone, style and messaging guidelines for a consistent brand voice across different languages that hit the mark each and every time, and in just the right way.
We all knew where this was going. If you like the promise of AI-powered translations, but not the risk they can entail, then please consider a hybrid approach. A hybrid approach combines the speed and efficiency of AI with the cultural sensitivity of human expertise.
AI can be used to pre-translate large volumes of text, which is then reviewed and refined by professional translators and linguists, like those at Responsive Translation who have expertise that has been honed over decades. This approach is efficient and cost effective, while also ensuring that your organization doesn’t inadvertently drive itself off the cliff in an autonomous vehicle.
Responsive Translation provides expert translation and quality control services, including strategic planning, custom workflows and enterprise solutions, for a wide range of organizations like yours. For more information, please get in touch at 646-847-3309 or [email protected].