In the past few years, translation agencies have had to face several challenges that have increased competition within the market. However, instead of threatening our way of working, the situation has transformed professionalism into a value. The truth is that this quality is a hallmark that only the best companies seek to achieve. Let us explain.
The challenges of translation in the 21st Century
What are translation companies up against today? Without a doubt, while technology has been a tool for progress, it has also served as a turning point. These are some of the challenges we have faced because of it:
- Machine translation. Google and other online resources offer machine translation for extensive texts. Even though their translations can be decent, they continue to make flagrant mistakes in terms of tone, intent, or accuracy in the document.
- Emergence of artificial intelligence. AI tools do a much better job than their machine translation counterparts. However, as we will see later on, they too continue to make significant mistakes.
- Intrusion. There are many individuals who, without having the necessary degrees or certifications, offer translation services online as a result of these types of tools.
Risks of artificial intelligence
Now let’s have a look at the technology of the hour, the tool that seems to be the most effective when it comes to translation. The truth is, however, there are several aspects that it still can’t handle:
- Trouble understanding different tones of voice. Legal documents require a specific kind of jargon and a formal style, while a film or video script, for example, does not. Similarly, content for an online store needs to be more persuasive. These kinds of changes in tone of voice continue to pose a challenge for AI.
- Consistency issues in the text. An AI tool can’t, for example, detect a mistake in the original text being translated. This is something that a seasoned translator can do, to then rectify it properly in their translation.
- Style issues. Finally, texts also need stylistic consistency, and this skill is acquired by translators through practice and expertise. This is why artificial intelligence often falls short when it comes to such jobs.
Professional native translators
What’s the deal with these competitors? Simply put, their work contains obvious errors. This is why, in a context where so many companies are starting to use these types of resources, translations performed properly by native translators are turning into a seal of good work and success.
Far from seeing this technology as a threat, we consider it an opportunity to position our work above anything a machine can do, to offer a much more sophisticated, all-round service.
Ultimately, translation agencies like blarlo have no reason to fear digital tools. They are still unable to compete with the high-quality work of specialized translators. If you’re looking for quality translation services that can adapt to your needs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. Here at blarlo, we can’t wait to hear from you!
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) Français (French) Nederlands (Dutch) Deutsch (German)
