Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing almost every industry, and the language service provider (LSP) sector is no different. However, with the rise in popularity of AI-enabled translation tools, one question keeps popping up in the minds of individuals and businesses alike. That is, which is better, AI or human translation?
This guide will help you discern the key differences between human translation and AI tools, their advantages and disadvantages, and when to use each approach. We will also shed light on the popular opinion of using a mix of human translators and AI-based technologies for maximum efficiency.
AI Translation
It is a process where an AI-based tool is used to convert content from one language to another. Below is a quick overview of the advantages and disadvantages of AI-based translation.
Pros
- Quick turnaround and translation.
- A wide selection of machine translation engines.
- A cost-effective solution.
- Increased levels of accuracy.
- It enables multilingual translation.
Cons
- Unable to discern cultural subtleties and context.
- Inability to recognize and interpret slang, idioms, and colloquialisms.
- Translation of industry-specific terms is challenging.
- Accuracy level varies according to language.
Human Translation
It is a process where a human linguist converts content from the source language to the target language. Following are the advantages and disadvantages of human translation for better understanding.
Pros
- It ensures the highest level of accuracy with editing and review processes.
- Ability to pick up on contextual and cultural quirks.
- Can recognize and interpret slang, idioms, and colloquialisms.
- It recognizes a variety of language dialects.
- Capable of offering more suitable substitutes for content that is challenging to translate.
Cons
- It takes longer to translate the content.
- It is costly for larger projects.
- It may be difficult to find the required language expert unless you are using a translation agency.
Key Differences - Machine vs Human Translation
Are you wondering which is better, machine or human translation? You will get your answer soon, but before directing the discussion towards it, it is crucial to understand their differences.
| Category | Machine Translation | Human Translation |
| Cost | It provides significant cost savings for recurring, high-volume translations. | It is expensive, and the price varies depending on the translator’s knowledge as well as the complexity and length of the material. |
| Accuracy | It offers high accuracy in general-domain translations that are not context-specific. | It accurately comprehends and translates specialized, context-specific knowledge in the target language. |
| Scalability | It is highly scalable and offers great opportunities where a high volume of documents need translation. | It is resource-intensive but offers great benefits in intricate translations. |
| Speed | It translates content within seconds. | The translation time varies depending on the material complexity and translator availability. |
| Cultural Sensitivity | It often fails to comprehend the socio-cultural, context-specific nuance in content. | It offers cultural coherence and linguistic accuracy. |
Speed
AI tools translate written or spoken content quickly by leveraging advanced AI and neural networks. With time, it is becoming proficient at translating content into different languages, helping you get the first translated draft within seconds, saving time, effort, and cost.
Contrarily, it takes longer for a professional translator to translate the content. Besides, the delivery time can vary based on the document size, language pair, specialization, and complexity. Cutting it short, human translation takes more time, effort, and budget.
Accuracy
Human translators don’t focus on literal translations. They also comprehend the context, emotional significance, tone, and meaning of each word and translate it into the target language. Moreover, they maintain the original intent of the content in the translated copy.
Also, the translated text has a natural fluidity due to the work of human translators. Readers won’t be able to distinguish between the original and translated texts because of how similar they are. Correct translations guarantee brand consistency and save you from making humiliating cultural or linguistic blunders in the foreign market.
However, when you use AI-based technologies, it fails to translate idioms and other cultural expressions. AI translation software is still evolving and learning. They are far from reaching the point where they can understand expressions in language and resonate emotions in copy. As a result, readers often fail to comprehend the AI-translated content. Human translators can change the content of a word, phrase, or idiom in the target language.
Cost
For quick translations, you can use several readily available free AI tools on the web. However, the accuracy of these translation tools is not high. Purchasing paid AI translation software won’t be fruitful and may prove to be an expensive approach if it is a one-time job.
On the other hand, human translation is costly but guarantees accuracy and precision. Professional translators are well-versed in both the source and target language. They can translate anything, including tone, mood, and context, without changing the original intent and context of the content.
So, even though you may find it expensive, you won’t need to hire a linguistic QA expert to ensure the cultural and linguistic coherence of the translated copy, saving you time and money. However, if your business needs large-volume translation, employing only a human translator may break the bank and delay the delivery.
Have you ever thought about using a hybrid approach? Well, more on that later! Let’s first see in which cases you should use AI or human translation.
When To Use AI Translation?
Sometimes, you need to translate several large documents quickly. For example, a large volume of documents passes through multiple desks in a legal office. Thus, they require a speedy, consistent, and accurate translation method to avoid unnecessary delays. AI-based tools can translate massive amounts of data in less time without compromising quality and consistency.
Besides, COST is another factor to consider. There are several free translation tools available that can help you translate without investing a penny. However, these tools lack accuracy and precision.
Taking the same example of legal office, even a small error in translation can cause drastic results. Thus, you should invest in a paid and verified AI translation tool. Initially, you may find the investment expensive. However, it will save you a lot of money in the long run. In comparison, human translators charge more and take more time to complete the task.
Thus, it is essential to understand your translation needs before deciding on a translation approach.
When To Use Professional Human Translation Service?
You should use human translation if you want your content to preserve tonal subtleties, vernacular elements, and cultural nuances.
Typically, books, songs, or movies are meant to resonate with the global audience on a deeper level. The reason? These materials rely heavily on eliciting human emotions, which AI algorithms fail to interpret correctly.
For example, children’s books or novels demand meticulous attention to the message and intention conveyed in the book. Human translators can comprehend and reflect the complicated human emotions, linguistic accuracy, and cultural nuances in other languages.
Human - AI Collaboration: Why Is A Hybrid Approach Better?
Whether it is AI or human translation, both have their advantages and disadvantages. And choosing between them is easier said than done. However, combining the two translation approaches can offer significant benefits.
You can create a complete ecosystem to produce accurate, fast, and humanized output, combining AI and human translation. It will help you leverage velocity and efficacy while preserving the translation’s contextual, emotional, and idiomatic significance.
With AI, you can produce the first drafts at scale. In the second phase, you can employ human translators to review translations that need close attention to detail to find any discrepancies the machines missed.
For large-scale translations, the two-step method can expedite the process and maintain the originality of the input after translation. Besides, you can add a third step for extremely sensitive translations where the linguistic experts will scan the final document for possible errors.
Limegreen Media - The Ultimate Translation Solution
Are you looking for professional translation services? Limegreen Media has got you covered. They offer:
- A global team of native linguists.
- The ability to handle 100+ language pairs.
- A hybrid model blending AI translation technologies with human expertise.
- A rigorous quality assurance process for cultural and linguistic accuracy.
Bottom Line
We hope this guide has helped you understand which approach is best for your business – AI or human translation. The comparison we presented between human translation and AI-based tools makes it clear that each approach has benefits and shortcomings. Thus, the intelligent approach is to use both human translators and AI tools.
Human translation adds subtleties, cultural context, and emotional intelligence to the table, while AI shines in speed and efficiency. If you don’t know how to do it in-house, you can outsource your translation operations to Limegreen Media, which is a leading media localization service provider.
