The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Translation Industry—A Threat or an Opportunity for Companies?
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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Translation Industry—A Threat or an Opportunity for Companies?
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In recent years, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has impacted nearly every industry—and the translation industry in particular. Google Translate, DeepL, and other AI-based translation tools are now capable of converting text from one language to another in a matter of seconds. This can be particularly appealing to companies where operations are characterized by quick decisions, tight deadlines, and cost-effectiveness.
But is software alone enough to ensure high-quality, business-reliable translations? And what role will translation agencies continue to play in this new era?
The Costs of AI:
Machine translation is indeed effective when large volumes of text need to be translated quickly, the content is simple and repetitive (e.g., product descriptions), and the translation is intended for internal use rather than public communication. Simpler AI-based solutions are available for free or at a relatively affordable price and provide instant translation. Therefore, they can be a suitable choice for non-critical texts.
At the same time , more sophisticated, customized AI solutions —which are capable of learning from a company’s own data, run in secure, closed systems, and can even be integrated with other software (such as CMS or translation management systems)— require a significant investment. The cost of such systems can run into the millions of forints.
The good news is that our translation agency already has these modern tools, so you don’t need to make a separate investment —we provide the technology, expertise, and quality all in one.
But it doesn't work the same way for every language pair
AI performance depends heavily on the language pair:
English–German or English–Spanish: excellent
English–Hungarian, Hungarian–Romanian, Slovak–German: intermediate
Among rare or complex languages: weak
This is mainly due to the available training data and structural differences between languages. For languages with less data—such as Hungarian— machine translation is often misleading, stylistically inaccurate, or simply incorrect; therefore, quality assurance by a qualified proofreader is essential to ensure that the final result is truly professional.
Translation agency or software? It's not an either/or—it's both!
The real question isn't whether to use AI or a translation agency, but how to use both together in a smart way.
Machine translation speeds up the work—but a professional translation agency guarantees quality. Human expertise is particularly important in the following situations:
Specialized texts: legal, medical, technical, or financial documents, where a translation error could have legal or financial consequences.
Marketing and PR materials: where style, tone, and cultural appropriateness are essential to a brand’s credibility.
Multilingual projects that require project management, consistent terminology, and adherence to deadlines.
Why is it better to work with a translation agency?
Software won’t complain if the source text isn’t good, but a professional translator will ask questions and clarify details. A translation agency doesn’t just “translate”—it communicates, understands, verifies, and takes responsibility.
Benefits of our translation agency services:
We work with specialized translators who have a background in the industry and extensive experience.
We have incorporated proofreading and a multi-step review process into our translation workflows to ensure a consistently high level of quality.
We create translation memories to ensure consistent terminology, so you pay less for repetitions without having to invest in the technology yourself.
Our GDPR system and ISO-certified processes guarantee data security.
Our professional project managers always ensure that deadlines are met precisely.
We can also accommodate your specific needs ( certificates, official translations, multi-step approval processes).
An opportunity for those who know how to use it well
Artificial intelligence will not replace human translation— it will simply change the way it is done. Companies that recognize the potential of AI but continue to entrust professional-quality work to experts can gain a significant competitive advantage.
As an experienced translation agency, we don’t just translate the text— we also ensure that it is accurate, stylish, and culturally authentic in the target language.
If you need medical translation services, contact Afford —we translate any type of medical text into 150 different languages and language variants!
Leave the translation to us—we know what we're doing
Technical translation requires not only expertise but also a responsible approach. That’s why our translation agency doesn’t just translate—we understand the subject matter, the language, and our clients’ needs. Contact us today and request a custom quote—we’d be happy to help ensure your message reaches your target audience in the right format and with maximum effectiveness!
Take advantage of our expertise and request a free consultation!
Do you rely on in-house translations or outsource to a service provider? Whichever route you choose, it is worth considering how you could make the process simpler, faster, and more cost-effective. Let us help you find the solution that is best for you! Our free consultation includes a review, analysis, and evaluation of your current translation workflows so we can outline potential optimisation options.
You can also contact us with a specific project and your individual requirements, and our team of experts will assist you in the entire process, from planning to implementation. Let's work together to develop language solutions tailored to your needs—success lies in the details!
Request a free professional consultation now!
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