Ask ChatGPT – July 5, 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 21:

Can machine translation work with a client’s translation memory?

Chat GPT’s Response:

Yes, machine translation (MT) can be integrated with a client’s translation memory (TM) to enhance translation quality and efficiency. Translation memory is a database that stores previously translated segments of text, such as sentences or phrases, along with their corresponding translations. It is used to aid human translators by suggesting matches for new segments that are similar to previously translated ones.

When using machine translation with a client’s translation memory, there are a few different approaches that can be taken:

• Pre-translation with TM leveraging: Before passing the text through the machine translation engine, the translation memory can be used to pre-translate segments that have exact or similar matches. This step can significantly reduce the workload on the machine translation engine, as well as improve the consistency of translations by reusing approved translations from the TM.
• Post-translation TM leveraging: After the machine translation system generates the translation, the output can be compared to the client’s TM to identify and replace any segments that have exact or fuzzy matches in the TM. This process is known as post-editing, where a human translator reviews and corrects the machine-generated output, using the TM to ensure consistency and accuracy.
• Hybrid approach: Another approach is a hybrid one, where the machine translation output and the translation memory are combined to produce the final translation. The translator may use the machine translation as a starting point and then leverage the TM to refine and adjust the translation.

Integrating machine translation with a client’s translation memory can lead to several advantages:

• Increased efficiency: By leveraging the existing translation memory, the translator’s workload is reduced, allowing for faster translation turnaround times.
• Consistency: Consistent translations are essential for maintaining a brand’s voice and message. Reusing translations from the TM helps maintain consistency across various documents and projects.
• Lost savings: By reusing previously translated segments from the TM, clients can save on translation costs, as they are not paying for the translation of the same content multiple times.
• Improved translation quality: The combination of machine translation and translation memory can lead to higher-quality translations compared to using machine translation alone, as the TM provides a solid reference for high-quality translations.

However, it’s important to note that the success of using a client’s translation memory with machine translation depends on the quality and relevance of the TM. If the TM is outdated, contains errors, or doesn’t cover the specific domain or industry, its effectiveness may be limited. Therefore, regular maintenance and updating of the TM are essential to maximize its benefits in conjunction with machine translation.