The continued development of artificial intelligence is impacting the importance of the human touch.

But with technology continuing to develop at a somewhat alarming rate, and Google still trying to take over the world one robot at a time, investment in the translation industry is coming thick and fast with machine learning-based start-ups receiving significant portions of this investment. How will this latest news impact professional translators and what can we expect in the future?

Physical borders are no longer a barrier to businesses wanting to market their products across the world, and, thanks to the impressive and somewhat frightening power of the internet, international expansion is well within reach for most, but nobody can expect to revel in the sweet smell of global success if they can’t communicate effectively with international markets. Content has been king for a while, but without effective translation, your content could be the beginning of the end for your business, or at least leave any inkling of a worldwide takeover as a mere figment of the imagination.

We are at the heart of an age where ignorance is the opposite of bliss. Gone are the days where we can blame a language barrier for a misunderstanding and relying on Google Translate to accurately interpret a foreign website is archaic. Cross-context communication is difficult, and online translators are not yet at a point where it can successfully apply colloquialisms, dialect, and tone to copy. Much like interacting via text message and email, it’s very easy to have your points misconstrued without listening to somebody’s voice and hearing their intonation or seeing their face, watching their expressions change.

The Art of Translation

The work of a translator is invaluable to a business, and not even just from a B2C standpoint. Legal and financial documents must be translated accurately as silly mistakes have the potential to wreak havoc on a company if legal jargon or the formatting of numbers is lost in translation. As the regulation of industries increases, compliance is ever-changing and is different in every market across the world. The accuracy of machines is thoroughly inadequate in this respect right now and will be for the foreseeable future.   

Language is human, and we are confident that this will remain the dominant strain of thought for many years to come with AI and machine learning yet to make significant enough waves in the sector to topple the authority of recognised translators, and the companies who employ them. While machines are growing, the idea that they will eventually negate the need for people in globalisation teams is simply not a concern right now. The demand for translation has never been higher and, if anything, investment at this stage will guarantee more jobs for actual people, providing effective interpretation services to businesses across the world.

Talking Heads is a world-class specialist in translation and we offer a range of services for every industry and their specific needs. Contact us today to see how we can help your business flourish globally.