AI translations with revision
Translation Agency Perfect offers AI-powered machine translations with revision and post-processing. This service is called post-editing, an innovative method that uses specialized and intelligent translation tools to provide fast, efficient and cost-effective translations. The machine translations are subsequently proofread and corrected by professional translators who check for style and accuracy.
AI-based machine translations with post-editing combine the accuracy of human revision with the speed of machine translation, thereby creating a hybrid translation service.
Machine translations with post-editing by a translator
When hearing the words “machine translation”, our clients often conjure the image of an entirely automated translation that is, for example, done by Google Translate. These translations do not have the best reputation, and rightly so. However, machine translations with post-editing as offered by translation agencies have very little in common with free online tools or free translation websites as the technology is quite different.
Post-edited machine translations are not fully automated translations by computer programs. Instead, they are checked by a human translator for their correctness, understandability, and terminology and adjusted if necessary. The translation itself is made by advanced software and thus completed quickly. Afterwards, the revisor proofreads the translation to ensure its quality.
Machine translations vs AI translations
Even though the type of translation does not necessarily affect post-editing, there is one vital difference to be made concerning translations, namely, the difference between AI software in general and specialized translation software. Although machine translations are not produced by generative artificial intelligence, the software can be regarded as highly specialized AI.
Machine translation thus refers to the use of AI in order to translate a text. Due to the developments in the area of machine learning and natural language processing, machine translation tools have made big leaps in recent years. Together with specialized artificial intelligence, machine translation is able to provide a relatively precise and understandable translation of a variety of texts in a multitude of languages.
Specialized machine translation works with rules and patters and has been “trained” in advance so as to provide good translations. Generative AI (like ChatGPT), on the other hand, extracts information from context, which can lead to undesirable mistakes. Artificial intelligence, as it is commonly understood, can unexpectedly extract unsuitable information from the available data. That is why we call our service AI translation.
Translation Agency Perfect is certified for machine translations with subsequent full post-editing. This service is called “machine translation with post-editing”, i.e. MTPE.
What exactly is post-editing?
Post-editing describes the quality assurance process of a machine translation. It therefore equals a revision as it is essentially the same as proofreading and editing. The difference lies in the fact that a computer and not a human created the translation that is being post-edited by a revisor.
The revision includes the review and possible correction of machine-made translations by a human translator. This way, a good end product based on AI translation is created. Not every source document is appropriate for a machine translation. Technical or complicated legal texts as well as business communication and texts to be published should not be translated by a machine.
Translation Agency Perfect is certified for machine translations with subsequent full post-editing. This service is called “machine translation with post-editing”, i.e. MTPE.
The advantages of AI-generated translations with revision
We only use sophisticated translation software for our AI translation services with post-editing. Thanks to the combination of smart translation tools and experienced native speaker translators and revisors, we can deliver high-quality machine translations. This type of translation offers a few advantages.
Fast delivery thanks to the use of translation technology
As the translations are first translated by a specialized artificial intelligence or a translation tool, the definitive texts are completed much faster. In case of a ‘normal’ translation, the conversion of one language into another takes up the most time. This does not apply to machine translations because post-editing projects save the time required by a human translator to translate. Thus, the revision determines the amount of time needed and the delivery time.
Economical translations due to AI translation with post-editing
The costs of a ‘normal’ translation mostly depend on the translator actually translating the text. Post-editing eliminates these costs. In practice, the complexity, language combination, area of expertise and length of the text determine the price of a translation. Either way, we can offer translations with post-editing at a more cost-effective price than a ‘normal’ translation. We are happy to provide more information about our rates for translations.
When is an AI translation suitable?
A machine translation with subsequent post-editing is useful for texts that do not require a specific tone of voice or for which a free interpretation is not needed or desired. Marketing texts, for example, that demand a certain sensitivity regarding their later purpose are not ideally suited for post-editing. Detailed product catalogs filled with item descriptions, though, are a perfect post-editing project. We are happy to offer advice about the suitability of AI-generated translation with post-editing for your desired translation.
ISO-certified post-editing
We offer security and quality with our machine-generated AI translations with post-editing. Translation Agency Perfect is one of the few translation agencies with an ISO certification for post-editing machine translations (ISO standard 18587 for MTPE). This quality standard defines strict requirements for the quality of the post-edited translation, the process itself and us as the translation agency. We are happy to help if your text is not suitable for post-editing.
Do you want to know whether post-editing is an option for your translation project? Fill out our request form for post-editing and we will send you a non-binding offer based on your requirements.
Frequently asked questions about Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The number of free translation resources available increased tremendously in recent years. Still, with texts intended for commercial use and texts that are going to be published publicly, it is best to rely on human expertise capable of handling nuance for your translation.
Our most affordable tier is an AI + revision tier. This means that the initial version of the translation is done by AI and then checked for accuracy and other details by an experienced revisor. Editing the output of an AI translation is called postediting, which is a process we are ISO certified for. More on our certificates here
Plainly said: no. Even though online translation machines are used more and more to ensure a quick and free translation process, sworn translations are still a specialisation within the translation craft that is fully done by humans. AI isn’t at a point where they can translate these types of documents without mistakes, making it a legal liability. Besides this, we advise to never feed an AI model personal information as this can be used to fulfil prompts of other users.
This acronym refers to a Large Language Model. In its developmental phase it was fed lots of textual data, information and examples. Based on this scraped data, AI is able to assist users with simple requests by “predicting” which word is most likely to follow the other based on the given context. Don’t blindly trust AI with everything though, it still is a predictive model after all.
For unofficial and internal business use, doing a simple translation with AI is fine. We’ve personally had good experiences with DeepL. This AI model seems a bit more specialised in text and translations. It also suggests synonyms and makes it possible to subtly change the tone of a text.
Not really, simply because AI doesn't really translate. It mathematically predicts which word is most likely to follow the other. Which can work sometimes but can also have far-reaching consequences if it's used for nuanced texts prone to error. This is why we don’t recommend AI translations without human checks for any texts with data or texts that will be used publicly.