Ask ChatGPT – September 11, 2023

My Conversations with ChatGPT
Machine Translation (MT) and translations generated by AI have brought about a paradigm shift in the translation industry. The output of MT will continue to improve, especially when associated with clients’ translation memories and human editing. Language Service Providers are adapting and are including MT in their processes, when MT is applicable. While linguists will continue to be essential in the process, their role will shift from that of translators to validators of content generated by MT. At Excel Translations, we wanted to know what AI thinks about all of this and decided to have an open conversation on the matter with ChatGPT. I will regularly publish a question and ChatGPT’s response, uncensored.

QUESTION 53:

Is machine translation a good tool for E-commerce platforms?

Chat GPT’s Response:

Machine translation can be a valuable tool for E-commerce platforms, but its effectiveness depends on various factors. Here are some considerations for using machine translation in E-commerce:

Pros:

1. Cost-Efficiency: Machine translation can significantly reduce translation costs compared to human translation services, especially for large volumes of product listings and content.
2. Speed: Machine translation can provide quick translations, allowing E-commerce platforms to expand into new international markets rapidly.
3. Content Localization: It helps in making product listings, descriptions, and reviews available in multiple languages, improving the user experience for customers who speak different languages.
4. Global Reach: It enables E-commerce businesses to reach a wider and more diverse audience, potentially increasing sales and revenue.
5. Consistency: Machine translation can maintain consistency in translations across a large number of product listings and content.

Cons:

1. Quality: Machine translation may not provide the same level of linguistic and cultural accuracy as human translators. This can lead to errors or awkward translations that may affect the user experience and credibility.
2. Nuance and Cultural Sensitivity: E-commerce platforms often require translations that consider cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions, which machine translation may struggle to capture accurately.
3. Product Information: For certain industries, such as fashion or electronics, where detailed product information is crucial, relying solely on machine translation may not be sufficient to convey complex specifications effectively.
4. SEO Impact: Poorly translated content can negatively impact search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, potentially reducing visibility in international search results.
5. Customer Trust: Inaccurate translations can erode customer trust, and customers may be hesitant to make purchases if they perceive the content as unprofessional or unreliable.

In practice, many E-commerce platforms use a hybrid approach, combining machine translation with human post-editing. This means that machine translation is used to generate initial translations, which are then reviewed and edited by human translators to ensure accuracy and cultural appropriateness. This approach strikes a balance between cost-efficiency and quality.

Additionally, the choice of machine translation technology matters. Some machine translation systems are more advanced than others, and their performance can vary significantly. E-commerce platforms should invest in high-quality machine translation engines and continuously monitor and improve the quality of translated content to ensure a positive user experience for international customers.