AI will take over translation
That was the statement made in several conversations I have had with industrial clients. Some clients mentioned that their management no longer wants to invest money in translations. It all sounds very dramatic and alarming for the translation industry, but is this really the case, or will it become so?
My experience with the statement ‘AI will take over translation’
My experience is that a very significant change is already under way here. Traditional translation, as we have known it over the past few decades, will not remain as it is. Thanks to AI, a great deal has already changed, and in future, clients will be able to spend less money on translations. They will receive translations more quickly, or they may even be available instantly. This is already the case for some industrial clients who were open to the new AI world and are already using its new possibilities.
However, I also believe that the ubiquitous presence of multiple languages will lead people to commission translations more readily. This means that industry will organise its communications in such a way that translations, where required, are available at the touch of a button. Complex processes will no longer be desired; things should be simple and convenient. Just as web browsers offer users instant translations, the same will apply to customer documents. Yes, AI will take over translation in this case.
Translation service providers are already adapting
Traditional translation services will evolve into more consultancy and quality assurance. Translation agencies must adapt to this change in order to remain competitive in the market. Several translation service providers have already started adapting their offering to the new era. Some have already begun developing their own software applications with AI capabilities in order to offer their clients added value and retain customer loyalty. I personally see this as the right approach.
‘Developing our own applications or integrating innovative applications into our own processes is too time-consuming. I cannot manage it and I do not have the time for it.’ Service providers who think this way definitely have no future in the market and will sooner or later have to give up their business. Only agile and adaptable service providers have a promising future.
I do not want to unsettle anyone with this statement, but rather encourage them to embrace change, as otherwise it will definitely no longer be possible to remain competitive.
Who are the winners in the era of ‘AI will take over translation’?
As mentioned above, many translation service providers are already offering their clients their own software solutions in order to strengthen customer loyalty. However, it is also clear from the market that existing CAT tool providers have recognised 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 offered by the new era…
The fact is that integrating AI into existing systems is really not a major challenge, and access is relatively easy to manage. In my opinion, the tools with the best ideas and stable, high-quality instant processes will be the winners. As mentioned above, development is no longer technically demanding, so I also believe that providers with a good marketing and sales process will reap the rewards.
As I described in my blog ‘The trend among CAT tool providers is clear’, there are many providers on the market, not all of which will survive, but some certainly will. We are living in a truly exciting time.
One statement from an industrial client has particularly stayed with me: ‘We must love AI’. Yes, I share this view too, and we must get used to living with AI and using it.
Notes on creating this text
SATRI Consulting wrote this text (link to the original post), but I had it proofread by ownvia . In this way, I not only saved costs, but also significantly accelerated the editorial part of the writing process, which brings me to the next question: Why is AI so rarely used in copywriting?
I have my own 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.
You can also find more interesting blog posts on the SATRI Consulting website.