GEN AI for translators: Is this an option?

There’s no doubt generative artificial intelligence is rapidly flooding the virtual space and captivating users from the most heterogeneous of industries. This giant magnet exerts an attractive force on customers, business people, online users, students. Some even feel tempted to adopt it in formal and technical contexts. But what about translators? Is resorting to GEN AI seen as a treason to our own expert knowledge? Do you feel guilty using Gen AI for translation projects?

Let’s begin by highlighting this important difference:

AI vs Gen AI for translators

As we can see, humanity has been using AI for a long time. In our particular case, we work with TMs and glossaries on a regular basis leveraging the advantages of CAT tools, which enable us to increase productivity and keep consistency over a certain topic. By combining this useful resource with our expert knowledge, we can achieve proficiency in individual or group projects, with local or remote TMs.

On the contrary, no one can argue that Gen AI is more “creative” than the previous technology. It allows users to generate content out of a basic sentence or idea provided for numerous purposes. However, Gen AI’s final output proves accurate when it deals with a general subject, yet remains error-strewn in specialized or formal texts.

Although it’s being constantly “fed” and trained —sometimes by linguists—, it still cannot equal the translator’s brain. Currently, this technology lacks the sensitivity to produce a correct piece of work in certain languages or scientific domains. And from my perspective, it will take some time for it to gain expertise in both these fields.

Even so, in this incomplete and most uncertain paradigm, LSP may leverage Gen AI in several ways:

How translators fit in this new Gen AI era

The world is constantly evolving, and so are languages. This means that as professionals working with languages, translators definitely need to be aware of this endless transformation and reinvent themselves. In today’s paradigm, being clear about who we are and where we stand is the starting point of self-improvement for success. And despite some public discouraging “campaigns” against translators favoring Gen AI, we need to open our eyes to reality. The truth is just one quick online search away. I challenge you to take a peek at some websites or online compositions. Certainly, an experienced linguist will identify who hides behind the sentences ??.

In this regard, human translators take all the credit! ?? We have the skills necessary to recognize a false cognate right away, generate a translation suitable to a certain geographical region or to a particular community. We have the ability to produce a user’s manual and stick to technical terms all along or translate a contract respecting the tone and register of the source document, framed within the specific legal system in question.

Client education on Gen AI vs human translators

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are our own Marketing Department. So I invite you to educate our clients on the benefits of hiring a professional translator. The easy access to online bots and almost instant output may certainly be tempting. But, from a business owner's perspective, what about…

? Losing credibility because of a poorly translated site?

? Keeping clients’ confidentiality?

? Reliability issues?

? Damaging the business reputation?

Showing clients how we can add value to their business is essential for our business and their own. ?

Let’s take pride in what we do and stand up for our profession.

Let’s embrace new technological advances and empower ourselves to find new learning and working opportunities without being left out of this dynamic global trend.

???If your are a fresher in the industry struggling to get your first job as a freelance translator, I invite you to check this post.

??If you want to know how meeting or missing a deadline affects your professional image, take a look at this.