Post-Editing: the rise of machine translation proofreading in the age of AI
In today’s modern world, where rapid and accurate communication has become essential, language agencies such as Swisstranslate must be forever on their toes to adapt to technological developments in order to meet the growing needs of their clients. One of the most important innovations in recent years is artificial intelligence (AI), which has revolutionised many sectors, including translation. Today, we are talking to you about a service that has become essential: post-editing, or machine translation proofreading.
What is Post-Editing?
Post-editing is the process of revising and correcting machine-generated translations (MT). Unlike traditional human translation, post-editing involves working on a text already translated by a machine with the aim to improve its fluency, accuracy and contextual appropriateness. This service combines the speed and volume processed by machines with the finesse and nuanced understanding of a human translator.
Why is Post-Editing crucial in today’s world?
With the advent of AI and advanced machine translation technologies, such as Google Translate, DeepL, and OpenAI’s GPT models, the quality of machine translations has improved. However, even though these systems can surprisingly produce a good standard of translations, they are still not perfect. Cultural nuances, idioms, emotions and specific contexts are often misinterpreted or mistranslated by machines.
This is where post-editing comes into play. By correcting and refining machine translations, we can ensure accurate and effective communication. This process is particularly useful for complex or technical content, legal documents, marketing and any other form of communication where accuracy is essential.
The benefits of Post-Editing for businesses
- Speed and efficiency : Machine translations allow large amounts of text to be processed in record time. Post-editing reduces the time needed to obtain a high-quality translation, allowing companies to meet their communication deadlines.
- Cost reduction: Using human translators alone is more expensive, especially for large volumes. Post-editing offers an effective compromise, reducing costs without sacrificing quality.
- Improved quality: Human translators can identify and correct subtle errors that machines can overlook, so ensuring that the final text is not only correct but also stylistically appropriate and culturally relevant (localisation).
Our expertise in post-editing
As a language agency, we have invested in developing our post-editing skills to meet the demands of our clients in the age of AI. Our language experts, trained in the latest technologies, are able to transform raw machine translations into impeccable documents, tailored to your target audience.
We use a collaborative approach, combining the best of technology and human expertise. Our post-editing process includes:
- Initial analysis: machine translation assessment to identify recurring errors and areas requiring attention.
- Correction and refinement: careful revision of the text to correct grammatical, syntactic and contextual errors.
- Cultural adaptation: adjusting nuances and expressions so that they are relevant and understandable in the target language.
- Final validation: final proofreading by an expert to ensure optimal quality and flawless communication.
Conclusion
Machine translation post-editing is an indispensable service in today’s translation world. As technology is forever evolving and with the rise of AI, translation agencies must embrace these tools to remain competitive and deliver high-quality solutions to their clients. By integrating post-editing into our range of services, we ensure that your messages are not only translated, but also perfectly adapted to your target audience, so strengthening your presence in the global market.
To find out more about our post-editing services and discover how we can help you optimise your international communications, do not hesitate to contact us. Let us transform your machine translations into linguistic masterpieces together.