As the technological explosion in the field of artificial intelligence continues to gather momentum, generative AI has become a formidable tool with the potential to redefine the landscape for the translation industry and assist in enhancing efficiency, improving quality and expanding access to translation. Our guide is intended to help you understand generative AI from the perspective of translation.
The text you have just read was prepared by a chatbot on the basis of a short instruction – called a “prompt” – to demonstrate how artificial intelligence can provide a helping hand for your communication.
Here at World Translation, we believe that AI is a smart tool – but we are also well aware that knowledge and experience are required to make the most of chatbots such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini. It is not just a question of prompting appropriately, but also of having the translated, AI-generated content validated by a native speaker to screen it for errors and adapt it both linguistically and culturally.
In the burgeoning development of artificial intelligence, generative AI has emerged as an impressive frontrunner. Conventional AI runs on rule-based systems and explicit programming methods, where pre-defined rules make it possible for the technology to perform a given task. This applies, for example, to Google’s search function, Apple iPhone’s voice-enabled virtual assistant Siri, and the way Netflix recommends relevant films and TV series.
In contrast, generative AI is a new generation of artificial intelligence that offers almost limitless opportunities. Generative AI is built on artificial neural networks known as “foundation models”, which are trained using enormous datasets. This type of artificial intelligence has the capacity to generate completely new and original content for you on the basis of the prompts you feed into it. Irrespective of whether this prompt is in the form of a question, a dataset or another instruction, the technology will create output from it.
A prompt is a brief instruction or a question fed to an artificial intelligence model to guide it to carry out a specific task. In the context of generative AI and translation, the prompt tells the model what to translate and how to translate it.
A good prompt needs to be:
An example of a prompt could be:
The prompt states that the text “Hi, how are you?” is to be translated into Danish. It also provides the model with context about the text, as it states that the phrase is a greeting.
There can be no doubt that artificial intelligence is gaining more and more ground in the translation industry. This being the case, we believe that it should be embraced as a resource. At World Translation, we are keeping pace with developments and using artificial intelligence in contexts where it makes sense to do so.
Specifically, AI can help to cover the following needs:
Even though generative AI is becoming better and better at understanding context, tone and cultural finesses in languages, we strongly recommend that you have the post-editing performed by a professional. Because while generative AI can provide assistance, the technology will never replace human experience and knowledge. There is also a risk of chatbots “hallucinating” or quite simply giving a wrong answer because they do not necessarily have the specialist knowledge that you or a translator familiar with the industry will possess.
So you must always read – or have someone else whose native language is the target language read – and post-edit the AI-generated material before you publish it. In this way you can enjoy the best of both worlds: fast, AI-assisted initial translation and personal, high-quality editing.
At World Translation, we view generative AI as a valuable tool to supplement human expertise. By arrangement with the individual customer, we can use AI to streamline processes and boost efficiency, while still placing emphasis on quality control and the human touch. We have a team of experienced translators who review and validate all AI-generated translations to ensure that they are accurate, idiomatic and top quality.
We offer a variety of services based on generative AI, including:
There can be no doubt that artificial intelligence is here to stay. The technology is developing at incredible speed and has the potential to redefine large areas of our work. That is why World Translation sees AI not as a challenge, but as an opportunity.
Nevertheless, it is clear that AI – in the translation industry at least – cannot do it alone. Extensive linguistic and cultural knowledge is required to communicate effectively and professionally, and to prompt a chatbot appropriately.
With a strong translation partner, you can be sure of a much higher level of service and security than when simply using a chatbot like ChatGPT.
For example, this combination provides:
If you are dreaming of using artificial intelligence for your translations but aren’t quite sure where to start, World Translation is ready to help you get under way.
You can find our contact details here – Give us a call or send us a mail to find out how we can work together to tackle your translation needs.