Machine translation tools are in high demand these days for their ability to speed up the translation process and enhance translators’ work efficiency. However, some may still argue about the significance of these tools. Well, we can’t give any final verdict about the accuracy, relevancy, and quality that enterprise translation software may provide. Because not all MT systems are created equal. It all depends on the software that you are using. There are many open-source MT tools available in the market that would badly mess up your translations.
At the same time, some paid translation management systems provide access to AI-powered MT tools that would provide you with high-quality outcomes. Here are some pros and cons of machine translation tools that you should be aware of.
What Is Machine Translation?
Unlike human translation, machine translation is generated by software using an AI algorithm. A machine translation tool automatically generates translations from one language to another within seconds. All you have to do is upload the source file to the system, and it will translate the complete document without any human involvement. One of the most famous examples of machine translation tools is Google Translate, Bing Translate, Amazon Translate, etc.
Perks of Machine Translation Tools
Global companies are using advanced machine translation tools to manage their increasing translation needs into multiple languages. The following are the top advantages of the professional enterprise translation software.
High-Speed Translations
The best thing about machine translation tools is that they provide quick results and allow businesses to manage high volumes of content faster. There will be no missed deadlines, and you will be able to finish your work on time.
Cost-Effectiveness
Machine translation tools cost you way less than professional human translators or LSP. You just need to pay an annual fee for the MT tools, and you can generate translations into multiple languages. It is also a relatively cheaper approach to managing content translations.
Promote Business Scalability
Machine translation tools help you scale your business in international markets. It reduces your time to market because of the quick and on-time delivery of translation content. You can easily hit more than one market at once.
Fewer Grammatical & Typo Errors
You are less likely to have any grammatical mistakes while working on machine translation. Machines are less likely to make such mistakes than manual translations. It also saves the time required for proofreading and eliminates grammatical and typo errors.
Drawbacks of Machine Translation Tools
You can’t blindly trust machine translations. It does make mistakes that may put your brand’s reputation at stake. Following are the major disadvantages of machine translation tools that you must know.
Lack of Context
Machine translation is good with word-to-word direct translation, but switching from one language to another might make your brand message unclear. Your translations might lose focus on the actual context of the original text. A lack of context would make your reader confused about the brand identity.
More Logical Errors
Machines don’t make typos or grammatical mistakes, but they do make other stupid mistakes that could damage your brand reputation in a foreign market. Machines are not very good at understanding the context, emotions, and relevance factors that affect the quality of translations.
No Cultural Relevance
Your translations have to be culturally appropriate and relevant. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have the right influence on your target audience. Your customers might not relate to the content, or something in your translation would offend them because of a lack of cultural relevance.
Future of Machine Translations
Machine translation technology is continuously developing; however, it still has some gaps to be filled. Current neural translation models have cleared the way for more innovative translation technology. It is expected that in the future, the performance of MT tools will improve with higher translation accuracy and consistency. Considering the higher demand for machine translation management systems, the future technology will be more affordable to capture the demands of a vast audience. Moreover, artificial intelligence technology is going to play a major role in perfecting MT tools to generate higher-quality outcomes. More powerful AI algorithms are coming around to fill the gap between machine translations and professional human translations.
Conclusion
Just like any other technology, there are some perks and drawbacks of using machine translation tools to fulfill your increasing translation needs. You better invest your money in reliable MT tools only to avoid any inconvenience or poor translation issues.
