Recent technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought about significant changes in the language services industry. With the potential to revolutionise how we interact with language, AI has the power to fundamentally transform the industry. It offers tremendous opportunities to enhance the quality of translation and interpretation services and increase overall efficiency. However, the industry must also be prepared to face a number of challenges in the years ahead.
Language acquisition process
One of the greatest opportunities is the transformation of the language acquisition process: thanks to AI, we can now receive translations in real-time, drastically speeding up the process of language learning and translation. In addition, AI can personalize our learning process and adapt it to our needs through the use of machine learning. For example, a student’s learning progress can be accurately tracked to provide targeted feedback and effectively improve their weaknesses.
Quality improvement
The use of AI in the language services industry offers great potential for improving the quality of translations. Thanks to the continuous development of machine translation technology, translations can now be created that are nearly error-free and can accurately capture complex nuances and contexts. Combined with human expertise, this can bring a significant increase in the effectiveness and quality of services. In addition, AI can learn from past mistakes and continuously improve its abilities.
Automation and acceleration of workflows
Another advantage is the increasing acceleration and automation of workflows. Especially routine tasks such as transcribing audio or video files or creating subtitles can be performed automatically. This not only saves time but also money, as fewer employees are needed for these tasks.
Large amounts of data
Furthermore, AI offers the ability to process a steadily growing amount of data quickly and accurately. Special AI tools such as machine learning algorithms or automated translation programs can be used for this purpose. This makes it easier for translators and interpreters to extract relevant data for their work or to create automatic translations and interpretations of documents and conversations.
Challenges
There is still a controversial discussion in the language services industry about whether human translators or interpreters can be completely replaced by AI. Although AI systems are capable of automating a variety of tasks, it is relatively unlikely that the need for human expertise will completely disappear, especially in cases that require a deep cultural understanding and language sensitivity.
Another key challenge in using AI systems is the reproduction of human biases and stereotypes: for example, if an AI system is used for text translation based on a data set containing sexist or racist stereotypes, it may repeat them in the translations.
In addition, AI systems are only as good as the data they are based on. In other words, if the data is flawed, incomplete, or outdated, the results of the AI systems will also be inaccurate or faulty. To prevent this and ensure high quality at all times, data must be regularly updated, reviewed, and cleaned.
The importance of AI in the language services industry will continue to grow in the coming years. According to a study by Global Market Insights (GMI), the global market for machine translation and language services is expected to reach $7.5 billion by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 30%.
The rapid development of AI technology will also open up new opportunities for the language service industry. For example, companies may be able to use AI-based systems to conduct language analyses and gain insights into their customers’ behaviour and preferences.
However, this comes with a great responsibility for both companies and regulatory authorities. They must ensure that ethical standards are upheld, and users’ privacy is safeguarded at all times. Achieving this requires vigilant monitoring and updating of AI systems, as well as careful consideration of critical factors such as data quality and the avoidance of biases. Ultimately, it is only by taking these measures that the language service industry can reap the benefits of AI and develop innovative solutions that offer their customers secure and effective services.
