By: Jenifer Lloyd
Jenifer holds degrees in English literature and translation studies and has worked in the translation industry for more than 25 years, first as an in-house translator, then as a freelance translator, and now as the founder of Lloyd Language Services, a provider of custom language solutions.
Bad AI/MT Translations Got You Down?
HI is the Solution!
AI can generate near-human quality – claim the Tech Bros.
But is that a good thing?
If you’re communicating to near-humans, I suppose it is.
But you aren’t, are you? You’re human and so are your readers, customers, users, followers, listeners, employees, investors, fans, etc.
You need to stand out from the flood of AI-generated slop. And to do that, you need better than just “good enough”, which is where Human Intelligence comes in!
AI Can Only Get You So Far
Written language is more than just words on a page. Language shapes and is shaped by sights, smells, tastes, and the feel of the world around us – the lived experience that large language models (LLM) only have patchy, second-hand, and indirect access to for English (and for other languages they have access to almost nothing 🤯).
Generative AI and MT (machine translation) fall short because they tend to misunderstand the world, the context in which a given text exists. And this can be costly and detrimental to your business.
With HI, you get a person who is capable of:
🧠 Choosing the right words to appeal to your readers, customers, users…, which requires senses and emotions.
🧠 Describing the real world, which means being able to reach out and actually touch it.
🧠 Creating a translation that sounds natural and, well, human, which entails more than just understanding the words, it also means understanding the author’s voice, the world they come from, and the world their listeners, employees, investors… live in.
Working with Humans Gives Peace of Mind
When you work with human translators, you get the cultural understanding and creativity that is the hallmark of brilliant translations.
And here we don’t mean so-called “human in the loop”, which is just a fancy way to describe machine/AI translations that have been post-edited by a more or less qualified person.
No, what we’re talking about is genuine Human Intelligence, which gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s an actual human on the other end in all aspects of the translation process.
With HI, you get a person who:
🤓 Thinks and wonders, and who searches for the deeper meaning behind the words.
🤓 Reaches out to you and other experts when they’re in doubt, rather than giving up or translating the words literally.
🤓 Double-checks that they’re using the right terminology and ensures that it’s used consistently from the opening sentence to the concluding paragraph.
🤓 Is loyal to you and to what you do, suggesting wording that resonates with your target audience in their mother tongue.
🤓 Brainstorms solutions, ping-pongs ideas, gets your angle, and explains theirs.
But AI is so much faster!
It might seem that way at first, yes. But once you’ve come up with a somewhat decent prompt, edited, corrected, reformulated, googled grammar, double-checked terminology and sources, and been down other rabbit holes, you have to ask yourself how much time you’ve actually saved.
With HI, you get a native-language translator with all those skills and more:
🏃➡️ They do the work for you! So you can get on with all the other important things on the day’s task list, secure in the knowledge that within a day or two, you’ll receive a quality translation that’s good to go.
🏃➡️ They do it right! Meaning you don’t have to worry whether your wording is off or if it sounds Danglish, Frenglish, Germlish…
🏃➡️ They’re actually pretty speedy! Depending on the volume, a professional can often translate your material in the same time it would take you to produce a translation on your own using a generative AI tool – but they do it so well, you don’t have to spend your own time rewriting and tweaking.
Trust is a Human Concept
When a human translates your work, you know where your report, press release, contract… is going. NDAs can be signed for your sensitive materials and your business secrets are safe. You can send your material to us, confident in the knowledge that your data is staying exactly where it should be and that there are no hidden agendas.
With HI, you get:
💡 A name, a face, and a professional translator behind every word.
💡 Translators who are bound by strict confidentiality agreements! And we’re happy to sign any additional NDAs you might need and to follow your company’s data processing protocols.
💡 Critical thinking – guaranteed. Professional translators don’t just process words – they understand the culture, have a firm grasp of ethics, and know when to stop and ask, “Is this the right thing to say?”
This is why at Lloyd Language Services, we trust in Human Intelligence – using only humans with many years’ experience and who are experts in their native language.
Want to learn how Human Intelligence can improve the quality of your multilingual communication?
Drop us a line!
More Insights…
Our native speakers can help you with:
Translation & Transcreation
Brilliant translations transcend language and cultural barriers. As native speakers, we create precise, engaging, and fluent translations aimed at your target audience.
Proofreading & Copy Editing
Professional proofreading and copy editing give your message that final touch, making it perfect and boosting your credibility. This ensures your readers focus on your message – not your mistakes.
Copywriting & Consulting
Write directly to your target audience in their own language. Our native speakers provide inspiration, creativity, and advice so you can find the right words to make sure your message gets heard.
The Human Touch in Translation Services
Bad AI/MT Translations? HI is the Solution!
What is the Native-Language Advantage?