The Role of AI and Machine Learning in Translation

Introduction

How has artificial intelligence transformed the world of translation, and what does the future hold?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing how we communicate across languages. As globalization accelerates, the demand for accurate, cost-effective, and efficient website translation is greater than ever.

A Common Sense Advisory study found that machine translation usage has increased significantly over the past few years. In 2018, 69% of surveyed companies reported using machine translation for at least some of their translation needs, up from 59% in 2017. This trend is expected to continue as more companies adopt MT as a cost-effective and efficient way to handle their translation needs. 

With the help of AI-driven machine translation, businesses, governments, and individuals are breaking down language barriers and making communication easier, faster, and more accessible. 

What is AI in Translation? 

AI has proven to be useful in an immeasurable number of situations, and the translation industry is no exception to this. The best website translation services are the companies that leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to help customers save money and prioritize quality will rise above the rest. Using AI allows translation services to generate more accurate, brand-specific work without the need for human linguists. 

One of the most advanced forms of AI-driven translation is Neural Machine Translation (NMT). NMT systems use deep learning to improve translation quality by detecting patterns in sentence structure, intent, and word relationships. This allows for more natural, context-aware translations that surpass earlier machine translation models.

There are two primary types of Neural Machine Translation (NMT):

• Generic NMT – Provides basic word-for-word translations, like Google Translate. These systems are not tailored to specific industries or brand voices, making them prone to grammar and syntax errors.
• Brand-Adaptive NMT – Uses custom-trained AI models to align with a company’s brand voice, terminology, and industry-specific language. These systems produce higher-quality, brand-consistent translations, requiring less human post-editing.

Benefits of Using AI and Machine Translation 

1. Faster and More Scalable Translations

Traditional human translation is time-consuming and costly. AI-powered machine translation software enables businesses to translate large volumes of content quickly while maintaining accuracy.

2. Increased Language Coverage

Unlike human translators, who specialize in select languages, AI-powered systems can be trained to translate hundreds of languages, expanding global reach.

3. Consistency Across All Content

With AI, businesses ensure that translations remain uniform and brand-compliant. Terminology databases and translation memory help maintain linguistic consistency across multiple platforms and languages.

What Are the Challenges? 

While there are many benefits to using AI and machine translation, there are also several challenges that need to be addressed.  

Quality vs. Cost Tradeoff 

Despite the improvements in MT quality, there is still a tradeoff between quality and cost. According to a report by Slator, the average cost per word for MT is around $0.10, compared to $0.22 for human translation. However, the quality of MT output is still not at the level of human translation, so companies need to consider this tradeoff when deciding which method to use. While machine translation has come a long way in recent years, it is still far from perfect. Machine translation algorithms can struggle with idiomatic expressions, cultural references, and other nuances that are difficult to capture without human interpretation. 

Potential for Bias 

AI and machine learning algorithms are only as good as the data they are trained on, and if the data is biased, the resulting translations will also be biased. This can be particularly problematic when translating sensitive or politically charged content, where inaccurate translations can have serious consequences. 

Accessibility 

While machine translation can be incredibly helpful in breaking down language barriers, it can also create new barriers if the translations are not clear or easy to understand. For example, machine translation can struggle with complex or technical language, resulting in translations that are difficult to follow or understand. 

What is the Future of AI and Machine Translation? 

According to Common Sense Advisory, the global language services market was valued at $56 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $70 billion by 2023. AI-driven adaptive translation technologies are a key driver of this growth.

Adaptive Translation™ – A Smarter Approach to AI Translation

MotionPoint’s Adaptive Translation™ leverages AI-powered brand-adaptive NMT, algorithmic translation, and translation memory to deliver high-quality, cost-effective website translations. Unlike generic NMT, this solution learns your brand’s voice, ensuring consistent, accurate, and scalable translations tailored to your business.

Looking to the Future

While AI and machine translation are not perfect, they are rapidly evolving. As adaptive AI-driven solutions continue to advance, businesses will be able to translate websites faster, more accurately, and at a lower cost-ensuring global audiences can engage with their content seamlessly.

Get a demo today and see how MotionPoint leverages AI and machine translation to YOUR advantage. Hear more about the topic by downloading our recent webinar on the future of website translation in light of AI. Find it here.