AI, MTPE… What next?
If you are reading this, you are probably thinking about whether there is any sense in asking a human to translate when there are AI alternatives out there that are so much faster and cheaper. After all, you wouldn’t be a responsible decision maker if you didn’t weigh all your options.
Actually, your options are not restricted to using AI or a human translator. You can also opt for MTPE, which stands for Machine Translation Post Editing, consists of a human reviewing the machine translated text, and costs about half of human translation.
Let me give you a few pointers to help you decide. Consider the following scenarios:
You are conducting an EU level audit at a member state level public institution. You are reviewing policies and internal regulations that contain a lot of references to national laws only available in the local language. You need to check whether these laws are in line with EU level expectations and implemented accordingly in the policies.
Solution: Use AI. It’s much faster, and the quality of the text doesn’t matter as long as you can make sure that everything is in line with your expectations.
You work at a company producing air friers and are responsible for publishing the manuals in 30+ languages. You want to make sure that users can use all devices as intended without any claims arising from mistranslations.
Solution: If you have the time and the funds, find human translators in the medium-to-high price range as they will provide higher quality than any AI engine. If the schedule or the budget is constrained, it’s safe to go with MTPE. A good AI will ensure consistency across the text. There will be some awkward wording and grammar mistakes, but a proficient reviewer can take care of that.
You work at a pharmaceutical company and are responsible for the publication of clinical trial related patient-facing materials. These include instructions on how to administer the trial product, what will happen during visits, as well as information on the rights and responsibilities of participants.
Solution: Human translation. A professional translator will make sure that the wording is in line with the legal background of the target country and that the text is user-friendly for readers of all backgrounds. This is something that AI is currently incapable of.
