Translation technology has helped bridge the gap between other languages and helped make language comprehension easier for all. Moreover, the globalization demands of today have gotten modern industry’s movers, shakers, and decision-makers in a pinch. They have to balance being more open to the world and its citizens (regardless of any crises) while keeping costs down and productivity positively high. Translation technology can help them deliver on all fronts. It provides them with scalable, effective solutions that can help them reach new markets faster and more efficiently than ever before. Here is an overview of sorts of where translation technology is at right now and what the future can hold for companies that want to utilize it to expand globally by expertly streamlining localization and translation processes.
Translation Technology’s Present
Contemporary translation technology is constantly evolving, with innovations coming every year. Below are some of the most popular translation technologies being used today:
1. Translation management systems (TMS)
Designed for translation project management at scale, these are software platforms that streamline the translation process from beginning to end, creating a workflow from the initial request to project completion. TMS allows users to plan, assign, and manage translation projects in an orderly fashion.
2. Computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools
Created to aid translators with their tasks, these software applications utilize translation databases (usually from a specific source language and target language), segmentation data, and frequency information databases. Along with various other resources, CAT tools help with translation processes.
Some functions of CAT tools are:
- To automatically complete translation segments if they exactly match with previously translated content
- To allow translators to reuse previous translations (translation memories)
- To offer options to go through secondary resources for additional contexts, such as images or comments left by other translators
- To integrate with other translation technologies, such as neural machine translation engines and Philippine language translation or localization
- To create reports detailing how much of your translation has been completed
CAT tools make it easier for companies to utilize and adapt to translation technology as they are accessible, making it easier for companies to manage more content efficiently, saving resources and time. With CAT tools at their disposal, translators can use the time saved on repetitive tasks to focus more on other translation projects. Delivering dozens of content types in multiple languages to diverse audiences can mean a lot for the information economy. Translation technology enables businesses to face many challenges and optimize translation spending by increasing speed and quality while reducing cost. Translation technology enables businesses to face many challenges and optimize translation spending by increasing speed and quality while reducing cost. Read more about computer assisted translation and CAT tools in this guide, written by the CAT+TMS (Translation Management System) SaaS company.
Translation Technology’s Future
Thanks to machine learning, translation technology, and its tools are so much more refined than they were just several years ago. Moreover, as artificial intelligence (AI) advances, translation technology can grow stronger. However, complete automation of the translation process may never happen because human translators and specialized machine translation tools have advantages that cannot be replaced. Furthermore, human translators can complement automation well (e.g., humans are naturally adept at thinking creatively, and artificial intelligence is ideal for completing repetitive or menial work).
Experts agree that translation technology’s future involves combining human intelligence and AI-powered machine translation to produce the best results. The foreseeable result is human translators and AI programs or tools working together as a single translation team, each playing a distinctive role. We will likely transition from computer-assisted human translation to human-assisted computer translation. Human-assisted computer translation could be the next revolution in translation technology.
The future of translation technology looks promising. Translation technology can continue to allow translators to focus on more complex translations, leaving tedious and repetitive tasks for AI-powered programs and tools. But, as with anything else, the future is in flux. We have to help each other, as citizens of the same planet, have a future first.
