AI and professional translation: how translators optimise multilingual projects

Artificial intelligence first found its way into the translation industry several years ago. Contrary to some received opinion, however, the most demanding multilingual projects are not being completed solely by machines. At multilingual companies, AI and professional translators are increasingly working together.

AI-assisted translation speeds up processes, strengthens the consistency of the terminology used and reduces certain costs, while maintaining the quality, accuracy and cultural sensitivity that no single form of technology is able to guarantee.

What shape could a collaboration between AI and professional translation of this kind take in a multilingual project?

The myth of AI and fully automated professional translation

Since the advent of neural machine translation, AI-based translation tools have made extremely rapid progress. They are now capable of creating the first draft of a complex document in multiple languages in a matter of seconds.

However, translation isn’t just a matter of replacing words with their equivalents in another language.

Companies also need to consider:

• industry-specific terminology;
• cultural differences;
• brand tone; and
• the legal risks associated with inaccurate wording.

This is why companies operating in multiple languages typically rely on a combination of AI tools and human expertise.

AI isn’t replacing computer-aided translation tools, translation memories or terminology databases. It acts more like an additional layer that professional translators can integrate into their working processes.

1.     Preparing projects with the help of AI

Before the translation itself starts, AI is able to speed up several preparatory tasks. The usefulness of agentic AI at this stage shouldn’t be underestimated.

Content analysis

AI-based systems and agentic AI can automatically analyse:

• the amount of text;
• the complexity level;
• the repetitions;
• the languages​ involved;
• potentially sensitive elements.

An analysis of this kind allows project managers to better schedule the necessary resources. Agentic AI goes even further and is able to automatically correct the source text.

Terminology extraction

One of the most useful applications of AI is the automatic identification of specialist terminology within documents. Linguists can subsequently validate the suggested terms to create a reliable glossary before the start of the project.

Choice of language variant

AI is able to automatically identify the source and target languages. While standard computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools tend to select a language variant, AI is able to recognise a regional variant. For example, British English (EN-GB) rather than American English (EN-US), which helps with the post-editing work that follows.

2.     Creating and maintaining glossaries

Ensuring the consistent use of terminology is often one of the key challenges faced by multilingual companies. For convincing results and to guarantee brand credibility, the systematic use of defined terms and designations is of essential importance.

AI is currently able to:

• identify recurring terms;
• detect inconsistencies;
• suggest equivalent terms used in previous projects;
• automatically populate terminology databases.

The role of the translator remains essential: they validate the terminology choices based on the context, the target market and the preferences expressed by the client.

3.     AI-assisted translation

AI produces an initial draft of the text, saving considerable time with repetitive and/or highly structured content:

• technical documentation;
• product catalogues;
• databases;
• e-commerce content;
• internal texts.

This initial version isn’t considered a final product, though. In essence, it is a draft version on the basis of which the translators will work.

It is also necessary to assess the appropriateness of using AI, as there is the risk of it having the opposite effect and slowing things down if it is used in an unsuitable translation project, such as high-level copywriting or a legal document, for example.

Machine translation tools now allow for the integration of glossaries into their interfaces, enabling the immediate use of the requisite terminology. This means that the glossary created in the previous step can also be used to support the translation process.

4.     Post-editing by professional translators

It is often during the post-editing stage that the actual added value becomes clear.

Professional translators don’t just correct grammatical errors; they rewrite, adapt and optimise the text so that it has the same impact in the target language as it does in the source language.

They check, for example:

• the accuracy of the information;
• compliance with the brand’s tone;
• the fluency of the text;
• the cultural nuances;
• the wording of marketing texts;
• the regulatory compliance.

In some sectors, such as the legal field, finance, insurance, science or pharmaceuticals, this step is absolutely essential. These are all areas where errors would have grave consequences.

5.     AI-assisted quality assurance

Following the human revision, AI plays a valuable role in quality assurance.

The latest tools can automatically detect:

• inconsistencies in terminology;
• omissions in the translation;
• numerical errors;
• formatting problems;
• differences between versions.

An automated check allows linguists to focus on the finer details of the content.

6.     Maintenance of reference materials

One of the most significant advantages in combining AI with professional translation is the maintenance of reference materials.

As is also possible manually with the use of computer-aided translation tools, AI systems can automatically supplement:

• translation memories;
• glossaries;
• style guides;
• and company-specific language preferences.

Over time, these features can improve the overall consistency of a company’s entire multilingual content.

AI and professional translation: beyond simply translating

The use of AI isn’t limited to the actual translation itself. Professional translators also integrate AI into a variety of everyday tasks:

Document research. AI can speed up the determination of references, local requirements or specialist sources.

Terminology research. AI helps to quickly compare the differing wording or terminology used in a given sector.

Marketing adaptation. Translators can search for and try out multiple variations of slogans, calls to action, or marketing wording before selecting the most relevant one to work with.

Verifications of consistency. AI is able to identify and correct discrepancies between different documents which belong to the same company.

High-volume orders. When thousands of pages need to be translated within tight deadlines, machine translation allows human expertise to be focused where it adds the most value.

AI and professional translation: a collaboration with a future

The question is no longer whether AI will replace translators. The reality of the market shows that the best results are achieved when technology and human expertise work together.

Companies working on multilingual projects require translation processes which are faster, but are also more reliable, consistent and adapted to local realities.

AI has become a powerful tool in helping them achieve this goal. It complements effective tools such as translation memories, computer-aided translation tools and terminology databases. However, it is still left to professional translators to ensure that the final text is both accurate and compelling.

At SwissGlobal, we integrate the latest AI technologies into rigorous linguistic processes to offer our clients the best of both worlds: the efficiency of AI-assisted translation and the expertise of professional translators.

Contact us to learn more about the individually tailored solutions we can offer you.