Three Types of AI Used in Translation
September 25, 2025
Advances in artificial intelligence have really improved AI-translations, but it is too early to eliminate the need for human translators when communicating important messaging in multilingual formats. However, AI has changed the way an organization should consider creating content translations for the global marketplace. Without doubt, machine translation and AI-generative software has reduced the time it takes to create an original draft but for most of us that’s where it stops today.
Generally speaking, artificial intelligence tools and streaming services have made it easy for international audiences worldwide to access information via digital media that was not possible in the past. But today’s globalized world has seen several generations of language interpretation tools come available that can make real-time multilingual translations a staple in most industries. AI’s power can also speed up many secondary tasks like outlining topics or subtitling content.
Without doubt, the accuracy of language translation machines greatly improved over the last decade. However, the technology is not ready to completely replace professional interpreters and human translators. In fact, when using these more advanced tools for multilingual messaging, you still cannot rely on automated translations for high-stakes communications of an organization’s messaging or product branding, especially when there is no room for misunderstanding of what is being said.
Will human translators still have a role to play?
Although machine translators and artificial intelligence tools have redefined the translation industry for creating drafts, the latest technologies should only be relied upon for basic text and not for the final published content. Just as accurate interpretations are required to deliver an organization’s messaging, diplomatic channels may always need content to be overseen by human translators and expert linguists who have a clear understanding of a foreign language’s unique nuances, so it’s likely that native speakers will always be engaged in final proofing of highly important documents. Nonetheless, real-time options for translations have made it much easier for companies of all sizes to think globally.
Implement the Right AI Tools
The advancements in AI language translation tools that were once thought impossible are already here. Nonetheless, like other digital technologies, it is not flawless and there are important things to keep in mind when selecting the best tool for your multilingual needs. If you need to translate confidential content like client contracts or sensitive business data, it demands extra protection and the AI tools used must be able to keep multilingual messaging safe and secure. Since not all AI tools are built equal, here’s three basic types to fit your needs:
- Machine Translation – MT is a modern-day vending machine that uses basics of artificial intelligence to translate one language to another. For simple content needed in volume, machine translation alone might be enough. High-volume, low-risk is where MT can provide its biggest return.
- Generative AI Translation – Instead of just following translation patterns, generative AI tools (like ChatGPT) provide advanced options, as they understand context and tone better. More useful than MT, Gen-AI is not perfect and human translators are still needed for accurate translations.
- AI-Assisted Localization – Although AI tools are super-smart and great at direct translation, localization of languages is a different ballgame. Thus, AI tools shouldn’t be used to localize multilingual content from scratch. The problem is that AI can easily miss cultural nuances and local preferences.
For starters, it is very important to correctly analyze your needs to determine the best translation approach based on your budget. If you are looking for high-volume translation of simple multilingual content, then machine translation might get the job done. But, it is crucial that the tool you choose can handle key language pairs for correctly communicating your organization’s messaging. With larger volume projects, weigh short-term savings against the potential for long-term scalability to grow in-sync with your business goals.
Integrate AI with Human Expertise
Due to the complexity of human languages (approximately 7,000 in the world) and the fact that linguists say there could be tens of thousands of dialects, artificial intelligence is simply not a full replacement for human translation when editing important multilingual messaging. But, when properly scheduled and well managed, translation workflows today allow you to balance speed and quality. It is, however, important to match the technology that fits your budget with human translation services for regional language needs.
- Let AI translate first draft – Let machine translation handle high-volume, low-risk content. It’s fast and provides a good starting point. AI translation tools are great for handling the nuts and bolts that can be boring for humans but crucial for effectively managing multilingual communications.
- Let humans review content – Translation of customer-facing content almost always requires human translators to review and adjust tone, clarity, and cultural relevance. Their interpretation of messaging can focus on nuance and accuracy to deliver the message as it was intended.
- Let the workload flow – Let AI manage terminology consistency, formatting and other things it is very good at doing. Human translators provide the post-editing for high-impact content as well as legally sensitive or regulated context to ensure it sounds right in each and every language.
AI translation systems can process and store data that allows humans to improve their translations. So, it is important to add feedback loops to ensure human edits are tracked. This also allows the AI system to get smarter over time based precisely on a translator’s real-world needs. Plus, without the proper safeguards in place, there is a risk of exposing sensitive details. Mishandling of sensitive information spells serious consequences in any language, especially when messaging exposes private or intellectual property.
The Best AI Needs a Second Pair of Eyes
If you are using machine learning and artificial intelligence tools to translate multilingual content that contains confidential or business-sensitive information, focus on the unique differences in interpretation between the source or floor language and the target language being delivered. Without a “second pair of eyes,” you might be at risk of exposing sensitive details that could spell serious consequences if private information is accidentally leaked. After all, improperly managed language barriers can damage your reputation with faulty messaging.
Although grammar should be checked, multilingual translations and accurate interpretations are not just about grammar. Thus, it is very important to have human translators review all MT or AI output for anything that’s legally sensitive, highly regulated, or needs localization to correctly align with cultural preferences. Fortunately, by being proactive in your approach and setting up quality assurance processes in your workflow, humans can track errors, document patterns, and fine-tune AI prompts to adjust multilingual source-to-target content.
A second pair of eyes from a “human-in-the-loop” adds critical cultural appropriateness that can set the tone and help to define context that even expensive AI tools may struggle to grasp. This vital step in planning your multilingual messaging can ensure the final output is natural-sounding and effectively delivers the message to its target audience. While changes going forward can be expected to improve efficiency like speed when dealing with large volumes, humans provide the intelligence needed to refine multilingual messaging.
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If you are using MT or AI-generative tools to translate multilingual content that contains sensitive messaging, you are dealing with data that needs the extra protection of human touch. Without the proper safeguards in place, it could spell disaster. In certain situations, the translation may need conversion from the source into a more widely spoken language like English, which is then translated by professional interpreters into different target languages. The experienced team at ProLingo can help you make informed decisions when you need to rent or buy multilingual equipment and services. With our established network of providers, we help you meet high-quality standards for multilingual messaging. Contact us at 800-287-9755 to speak with a translation specialist today.
