AI-CONTENT REVIEW: MULTILINGUAL COMMUNICATION WITH PROFESSIONAL INSIGHT
The Language Service Industry in the Age of AI
The language service industry has been at the center of a transformative storm over the last two years. Since the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, countless headlines have proclaimed the impending replacement of translators and interpreters, suggesting the demise of a multi-billion-dollar industry. With each new AI model, the promise of real-time translation, text-to-text translation, and speech-to-text services in nearly any language grows stronger.
But is this truly the end of the translation industry, or are we simply witnessing a shift in the business model?
AI Translation: A New Tool for Linguists
In the past, we grew accustomed to the concept of Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE), which involved human linguists refining machine-translated content. This often meant correcting literal, word-for-word translations that didn’t capture the intended meaning, or addressing basic grammar mistakes. However, we are now playing on a more complex field with AI-powered engines like ChatGPT and others.
AI engines bring a different set of challenges: while traditional machine translation suffers from literal translations and grammatical issues, AI-generated texts struggle with style, cultural accuracy, relevance, and—perhaps most concerning—hallucinations, where the system invents or fabricates information. These engines may also deliver inconsistent results or fail to maintain accuracy across longer texts.
One of the promising aspects of AI, however, is that it can be trained.
Just like older machine translation tools, AI engines can learn from the edits made by linguists, gradually improving their output by incorporating user feedback. This presents an exciting opportunity for faster translations, allowing human translators to focus on more refined elements like cultural adaptation and stylistic adequacy, while letting the AI handle basic content generation.
But the machine alone is not a panacea.
Uncontrolled, AI can generate inaccurate or culturally insensitive translations.
In the hands of a skilled linguist, however, AI becomes a powerful tool. By using targeted prompts and leveraging their cultural expertise, translators can ensure the pre-translation is more than just functional—it is relevant and engaging. This marks a significant shift in the role of translators: from handling the full translation process to becoming language and cultural experts, refining content so it works across multiple markets.
This evolution demands a new skill set from translators.
Today’s professionals need to possess a critical approach to evaluating AI output, a deep sensitivity to cultural nuances, and strong writing skills to produce polished, coherent translations. In short, AI may replace amateur or non-expert translators, but it cannot replace those who have honed their linguistic and cultural expertise.
AI Limitations in Translation
Despite its rapid development, AI-powered translation is far from flawless.
While AI tools are impressive in their ability to generate multilingual content, they often struggle with subtleties that human translators intuitively understand. One of AI’s key weaknesses is its inability to grasp context. For instance, homonyms, idiomatic expressions, and regional variations in language can easily lead to misinterpretations that an AI might miss.
Cultural nuances, too, pose a significant challenge. While AI can process vast amounts of data, it cannot yet replicate the deep cultural knowledge needed to fully understand how words, tone, and messaging need to be adapted for a specific audience. Misunderstanding these subtleties can lead to translations that are technically accurate but culturally tone-deaf, which can damage a brand’s image or even lead to legal issues in certain industries.
Additionally, “AI hallucinations”—where the system invents facts or distorts information—remain a serious issue, especially in fields requiring high accuracy such as legal, medical, or technical translation. These limitations underscore the importance of human oversight to ensure the final output is both accurate and culturally appropriate.
Future Translator Skills in the Age of AI
As AI becomes more integrated into the translation process, the role of the human translator is shifting from translating text to managing the translation workflow and ensuring high-quality outputs. This transition requires a new set of skills. First, translators need to develop a strong understanding of how to interact with AI tools—this includes prompt engineering, which involves crafting precise instructions for AI to generate more accurate translations.
Critical thinking has become more essential than ever, as translators evaluate the AI-generated content, identify potential mistakes or inconsistencies, and make the necessary edits. Moreover, writing skills now take center stage.
Translators have a deep understanding of writing styles and tone, enabling them to refine machine output to meet the specific needs of each client and target market.
Cultural expertise is also crucial. While AI can process linguistic information quickly, it cannot navigate the complex world of cultural adaptation. Translators act as cultural mediators, ensuring that translations resonate with diverse audiences and avoid potentially harmful missteps. In the AI era, translators are responsible for the final layer of polish and cultural fluency that makes the difference between an acceptable translation and an exceptional one.
Handling AI: Two Different Approaches
Today, clients tend to approach AI-assisted translation in two ways.
On the one hand, some provide content already generated by an AI model, requesting a professional review of the translation.
On the other hand, others ask for the entire process to be handled by an agency or a translator, using their own AI tool, followed by human review and refinement.
While both approaches involve AI, they differ significantly in practice. The first—AI content review—implies that the client has already used an AI model to generate the initial translation. Often, these clients may not have used the most refined prompts, resulting in a rough output that requires substantial revision. Depending on the language pair, topic, and quality of the AI engine used, this review process can be time-intensive.
The second approach, more akin to traditional translation workflows, allows the language service provider to handle the entire process. Modern translation tools now come equipped with AI integrations, including the ability to customize prompts and incorporate translation memories and glossaries. This results in a more controlled and consistent output, requiring fewer edits, especially for ongoing projects where maintaining consistency is crucial.
Adapting to Market Changes
At Kosmos Lingua, we’ve observed more companies adopting the self-production of content using AI, especially smaller businesses and startups looking for quick, cost-effective solutions. In response, we’ve started offering AI-content review services. This service differs from traditional translation or even augmented translation services; it requires a deeper review.
A professional review ensures the content is accurate, culturally relevant, and in line with the brand’s tone and objectives. While AI may be a valuable tool, the language and cultural expert remains essential in making the final product truly work across languages and cultures.
Whether you prefer to self-translate your content using AI and send it over to review or if you decide to let all the process in our hands, we can help you manage your multilingual content effortlessly.
Interested in learning more about our two AI-integrated processes and how we can support your international expansion? Contact us today.