Why choose a human translator?

A friendly humanoid robot looks at the camera

WHY CHOOSE A HUMAN TRANSLATOR?

In the age of DeepL and ChatGPT, why should you choose

me to translate or proofread your text when you could use

AI for free?

1) Why would people want to read something that nobody could be bothered to write?

Translation isn't as simple as just looking up words in a dictionary. Very often, it's about crafting a new text for a new target audience. And why would people take time to read a text that nobody made the time to write properly? It's simple: if you wouldn't use AI to write the original text, don't use AI for the translation.

2) Machines can't translate context.

Just like in English, most words in other languages have more than one meaning, depending on the context. So, to make sure your translation makes sense, choose a human translator. For examples of epic translation fails, click here.

3) AI isn't good at humour or word play.

Got a marketing text full of puns and jokes? Don't get it translated by AI. At best, it won't be be funny. At worst, it could end up being downright offensive...

4) Machines can't explain cultural differences.

Every language comes with at least one different culture, legal system, education system, social welfare system (or lack thereof), and many other aspects. To do their job well, translators sometimes need to add information to explain the differences in culture or system to your new target audience. This is something a robot won't do for you.

5) Machines can't cope if there's a mistake in the source text.

Most texts contain at least a few errors (a missing word here, a grammar error there, a word the spell check has auto-corrected by mistake...). As humans, we can usually understand what's meant anyway. But machines can really struggle with this, depending on the kind of mistake and the language involved - sometimes with disastrous results! If ever I am unsure of what your text means, I will ask you to make sure! I will also point out errors in your source text.

6) Machines don't adapt to changes in target audience.

Every translation involves a change in target audience - be it from a German-speaking audience to a British English-speaking one, or from an Arabic-speaking Syrian audience to a US English-speaking one. This means that words such as "foreign" or "abroad" need to be repositioned to reflect the location of the new audience. Again, this is something only a human translator will do.

7) AI might be quick and free, but often even the best it can produce is pretty mediocre.

In the words of Mark Twain, "the difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter -- it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

If you need to use precisely the right word every time, contact me for a quote!

8) AI feedback loop/model collapse
The more people who use AI, the more AI will be fed with and trained on AI-generated data. This could lead to a so-called feedback loop, or eventual model collapse, as the quality of material gets progressively worse due to a lack of original, human input. If you value originality and the human touch, hire a human translator!

9) Data protection
Any data you enter into Google Translate is theirs for the taking.

10) If you don't want to take my word for it, this is what ChatGPT said when I asked it about its limitations:

Key limitations of AI translation

1. Lack of true understanding

AI doesn’t understand meaning the way humans do—it predicts likely word patterns. This leads to:

Misinterpretation of ambiguous sentences
Incorrect handling of context across paragraphs
Literal translations where meaning should be adapted

👉 Example: Idioms like “break a leg” may be translated literally instead of culturally.

2. Cultural nuance gets lost

Language is deeply tied to culture. AI often struggles with:

Humour, sarcasm, and tone
Cultural references or taboos
Formal vs. informal context

A human translator can adjust tone depending on whether it’s a legal contract, marketing slogan, or casual message.

3. Inconsistent terminology

AI may:

Translate the same term differently within one document
Fail to follow industry-specific vocabulary

This is especially risky in fields like:

Law
Medicine
Engineering

4. Weak handling of complex or creative texts

AI struggles with:

Literature and storytelling
Poetry or wordplay
Branding and marketing language

These require creativity, not just accuracy.

5. Errors in low-resource or specialized languages

AI performs best in widely used languages. It often fails with:

Rare languages or dialects
Regional variations
Highly technical jargon

6. Confidentiality and data risks

Using AI tools can involve:

Uploading sensitive documents to third-party systems
Potential data retention or security issues

Human translators (especially professionals) often follow strict confidentiality agreements.