Many companies are asking the same question: can AI translate content well enough that a human translator is no longer needed? The short answer is no – at least not for all types of content. While AI translation has improved dramatically in recent years and can be highly effective for some purposes, the best results are usually achieved when AI is combined with human expertise. The right approach depends on the type of content being translated, the language pair involved and the consequences of any errors.
Where AI translation excels
Modern AI tools can produce fluent, natural-sounding translations quickly and at low cost. They are particularly effective for simpler informational texts and large volumes of repetitive content.
AI is also well suited to ‘low-stakes’ internal communications, where there is a lower risk of negative consequences from minor errors or misunderstandings. The speed and cost efficiency make AI translation an attractive option for companies looking to translate large volumes of content efficiently.
Where AI translation still struggles
AI does not understand language, culture and context in the same way as a human does. As a result, it can struggle with more creative content such as marketing materials, which often rely on cultural references, idioms and subtle nuances. In this type of content, achieving the right tone and brand voice is particularly important.
More complex material, such as legal documents, financial reports and investor communications, can also pose challenges. Although AI can produce fluent-sounding text, it may still contain subtle errors that are easy to miss at first but could have serious consequences for a company. Errors in this ‘high-stakes’ content intended for external audiences, such as clients or shareholders, can also affect a company’s reputation or financial position.
Language pairs matter
Not all language pairs perform equally well. The quality of AI translation depends heavily on the languages involved.
Translations between English and major European languages, such as Spanish, French and German, tend to be highly accurate and natural-sounding because AI systems have been trained on vast amounts of bilingual data for these commonly used language pairs. As a result, these translations typically require less in-depth post-editing by a human translator.
Finnish, however, poses more challenges. AI generally produces reliable and usable translations between Finnish and English that accurately convey the intended meaning, but the results can sound stiff and unnatural. This means more extensive post-editing is often required.
The main challenges arise from the complexity of Finnish grammar and its structural differences compared with English. In addition, smaller languages like Finnish have less high-quality training data available than more widely spoken languages.
AI works best with human expertise
To achieve the best results, human expertise must remain part of the translation process. Rather than using AI output as a final translation, it should first be reviewed and validated by a human translator, who will assess its quality, accuracy and suitability for its intended purpose. This process helps identify errors, inconsistencies and misleading content that may not be immediately obvious in the otherwise fluent-sounding text.
After validation, the translator will post-edit the text to resolve any issues. Depending on the type of content, this may involve light or full post-editing. For internal or informational texts, light post-editing is usually enough to correct errors and improve clarity. For external communications, full post-editing is often required to refine grammar, style and tone, ensuring the translation reads naturally and is appropriate for its target audience.
Throughout the process, translators also ensure consistency by working with terminology lists, glossaries and translation memories. By using these tools, they can maintain approved wording across documents and ensure that key terms are used correctly and consistently.
How Bellcrest can help
At Bellcrest, we help clients combine the efficiency of AI translation with the quality assurance provided by experienced human translators. Depending on your needs, we can validate AI-generated content to assess its quality and determine whether further review is required, carry out post-editing, manage terminology and ensure that translations are appropriate for their intended audience.
The goal is not simply to translate words accurately, but to ensure that your message is communicated clearly, naturally and consistently across languages.
AI translation can produce fast and often high-quality results for many types of content. However, challenges can still arise when a text requires nuance, cultural understanding and the right tone, and results can vary depending on the language pair involved. At Bellcrest, we combine the efficiency of AI with expert human validation, post-editing and terminology management to ensure communication that is accurate, consistent and appropriate for its intended audience.
Artikkelin kirjoitti Elina Needham.