In my first blog of this year, I want to address this comment that I received on LinkedIn:
“…Thanks for reaching out, but we don’t need translation services at this time. Btw…hasn’t AI kind of killed this as a service?”
Thinking about this comment, I remembered something that I was taught at school and which I have never forgotten:
- 70% represents the level of a student who received a passing grade;
- 80% represents a good student’s level;
- 90% represents a teacher’s level; and
- 100% represents what God scores.
These days, AI is at about 70% accuracy, which is good – it “passes” – but it is not good enough to use without human review. Current AI translation will provide you with a high-level, basic understanding of a sentence. Still, it misses the nuances of the conversation and culture, the register of the individuals speaking, struggles with jokes, and cultural sensibilities, etc.
If you value the difference between providing a service at 70% instead of at a solid, high 90%, think about these things: would you be happy?
- if only 70% of legal contracts were correct? or
- if only 75% of your medical instructions were understood? or
- if only 78% of your marketing campaign hits the target?
Don’t take me wrong: AI is getting better, and it has a place as a tool, but it still needs to be properly fed and monitored, and that is why translators and linguists are more relevant than ever.
We are here for you if communication matters to you and your company, if you understand that register and nuance matter, and if you value your safety and the safety of others. We are here if you want to navigate AI with professional linguists who understand the importance of proper communication and who are at the vanguard of this technology from the linguistic point of view.
If you need to bridge the language divide and connect with a broader audience, contact us at info@a-zworld.ca or visit www.a-zworld.ca the AZ World team will be happy to assist you.