AI takes over the translation
That was the message in several conversations I had with industry clients. Some clients mentioned that their management no longer wants to invest money in translation. This all sounds very dramatic and worrying for the translation industry, but is or will this really be the case?
My experience with the statement “AI takes over the translation”
My experience is that a very big change has already been set in motion here. Traditional translation as we know it from the last few decades will no longer exist. Thanks to AI, a lot has already changed and customers will be able to spend less money on translations in the future. They will receive translations faster or they will even be available instantly. This is already the case with some industrial customers who have been open to the new world of AI and are already taking advantage of the new possibilities.
However, my perception is also that ubiquitous multilingualism will mean that people will be more willing to commission translations. This means that the industry will organize its communication in such a way that translations will be available at the touch of a button if necessary. Elaborate processes will no longer be desired; it should be simple and convenient. Similar to how web browsers offer users instant translations, it will be the same with customer documents. Yes, AI takes over the translation in this case.
Translation service providers are already adapting
More consulting and quality assurance will emerge from the traditional translation business. Translation agencies must adapt to this change in order to survive in the market. Several translation service providers have already started to adapt their services to the new age. Some have already started to develop their own software applications with AI functionalities in order to offer their customers added value and maintain customer loyalty. Personally, I see this as the right approach.
“Developing your own applications or integrating innovative applications into your own processes is too time-consuming. I can’t cope with it and don’t have the time.” Service providers who think like this definitely have no future on the market and will have to go out of business sooner or later. Only agile and adaptable service providers have a promising future.
I don’t want to unsettle anyone with this statement, but rather encourage them to embrace change, otherwise it will definitely no longer be possible to remain competitive.
Who are the winners of the “AI takes over the translation” era?
As already mentioned, many translation service providers already offer their customers their own software solutions in order to strengthen customer loyalty. However, it is also clear on the market that existing CAT tool providers have recognized the technological opportunity and are equipping their tools with AI functions to make them more attractive to existing and potential new customers. Many new tools are appearing on the market and taking advantage of the opportunities of the new age…
The fact is that integrating AI into existing systems is really not a big challenge and access is quite easy to manage. In my opinion, the tools with the best ideas and stable, quality instant processes will be the winners. As mentioned above, the creation is no longer technically complex, so I also believe that the providers with a good marketing and sales process will reap the rewards.
As I described in my blog “The trend of CAT tool providers is clearly recognizable”, there are many providers on the market, not all of which will survive, but some will certainly make it. We are living in really exciting times.
One statement from an industry customer has stuck in my mind in particular: “We have to love AI”. Yes, I also share this opinion and we have to get used to living with and using AI.
Notes on text creation
SATRI Consulting wrote this text (link to original article), but I had it translated into English by ownvia. This way, I not only saved costs, but also significantly sped up the editorial part of the writing, which leads me to the next question: Why is AI so reluctant to be used in copywriting?
I have my opinion on this and will probably write a blog post about it soon. I am firmly convinced that AI offers enormous potential in this area.
