| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] | Do people ask you if A.I. will kill translation? Here's what to answer Thread poster: Tom in London
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[quote]Christopher Schröder wrote:
Maria G. Grassi, M.A. wrote:
This is the first time in 2 years I've had the time to post on proZ. AI bot people will have to try harder. We aren't dead yet!
Just had to respond to this:
You’re right, I don’t know Italian, but the two texts are not very different. I really do not think it would take longer to knock the AI into shape than start from scratch. It’s about the same as most human translations that I see.
But the two English texts ARE completely different. The AI has distorted the original meaning to the point that the author's intention is not clear. Read them again, slowly, and tell me I'm wrong.
It's an interesting debate though because, having done this job for 20 years now, all that's changed for me is that I click Delete to erase the crap AI translation, whereas before it was the crap human translation. And I have to do it a lot faster than 20 years ago, RSI and failing eyesight notwithstanding.
Basically there is still a large volume of crap being sent for translation/review/editing/proofing. Looking back on the past 5 years, it's still been far quicker and sanity-preserving for me to delete, start from scratch and write comprehensible English, stick the tags back in, pretend to the client that yes I did the MTPE and that 0.03 eurocents a word is totally fine and a liveable wage. Revising the approximated, the misunderstood and the mediocre, whether human- or AI-generated, takes forever and is mind-numbing and soul-destroying.
"Of course I may be wrong about where things are headed, but my bank clients are introducing AI all over the show without confidentiality or the current limitations of the technology putting them off".
That is because they are bank clients driven by profit, not ethics. A hopeless cause and a horrible industry (she says, working in another horrible industry and broken system (Legal), where in SOME of its fields they have to at least pretend to do things properly and can't ignore you if you tell them the machine got it wrong).
"I am already losing work because of AI and I’m at the top end of the market".
If more translators made efforts to drill their clients consistently on the limitations of what the tech can do and what it can't, the errors these tedious bot-things are making, the insurance claims that potentially come from regulatory breaches and crap translations, the differences between good tech and bad tech, people might realise that their AI god has feet of clay and get sick of accepting, and reading, inaccurate drivel.
"Anyway, that video was five minutes of my life that I would like to have back".
I clicked Subscribe on his YT channel. He may have other interesting things to say.
Translation is an art AND a science. Neither side can have it all its own way.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | At best, it's fun. | Nov 27, 2023 |
I've just done some "in the style of" rewrites of a bit of text lifted from The Guardian
The Guardian:
With correspondents on the ground and reporters updating this liveblog 24/7, the Guardian is well-placed to provide comprehensive, fact-checked reporting, to help all of us make sense of this perilous moment for the region. Reader-funded and free from commercial influence, we can report fearlessly on world events as they develop.
We believe everyone deserves eq... See more I've just done some "in the style of" rewrites of a bit of text lifted from The Guardian
The Guardian:
With correspondents on the ground and reporters updating this liveblog 24/7, the Guardian is well-placed to provide comprehensive, fact-checked reporting, to help all of us make sense of this perilous moment for the region. Reader-funded and free from commercial influence, we can report fearlessly on world events as they develop.
We believe everyone deserves equal access to accurate news. Help power the Guardian’s journalism and enable us to keep our quality reporting open for everyone. If you can, please support us on a monthly basis from just £2. It takes less than a minute to set up. Thank you.
Jane Austen:
With correspondents stationed upon the field and diligent reporters ceaselessly updating this live chronicle, The Guardian finds itself admirably situated to deliver a comprehensive, meticulously verified account—offering enlightenment to all in the face of this precarious juncture for the region. Endowed by the generosity of our discerning readers and emancipated from the shackles of commercial influence, we avow the capacity to narrate with intrepid fidelity the unfolding tapestry of global events.
We harbor the conviction that every individual merits an equal entitlement to veracious tidings. Bestow support upon the journalistic endeavors of The Guardian and contribute to the sustenance of our esteemed reporting, unfurled for the benefit of one and all. Should you find it within your means, graciously sustain us with a monthly pledge commencing at a mere £2. A trifling endeavor requiring but a minute of your time. Our profound gratitude accompanies your noble patronage.
William S Burroughs:
Amidst the gritty hustle of correspondents pounding the pavement and reporters perpetually tweaking this liveblog around the clock, The Guardian finds itself in a sweet spot, primed to dish out a dope spread of comprehensive, fact-checked intel—navigating us through the treacherous waters of this volatile moment in the region. Reader-fueled and cleansed of the commercial muck, we spit out fearless reports on the global stage as it morphs and mutates.
We're pushing the notion that everyone's entitled to a hit of the real stuff, uncut and unfiltered. Dig deep into your stash and power The Guardian's journalism, keeping the lines open for all to savor our primo reporting. If you can spare the change, slide us a monthly fix starting at a measly £2. It's a quick shot to the system, takes less than a minute to mainline. Much obliged.
[Edited at 2023-11-27 18:11 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | | | I don't get what made you LOL so much you came back after two years... | Nov 28, 2023 |
Claire Titchmarsh wrote:
But the two English texts ARE completely different. The AI has distorted the original meaning to the point that the author's intention is not clear. Read them again, slowly, and tell me I'm wrong.
I can't tell you you're wrong, Claire, but I really can't see it. He parked a Roller outside his hotel, got some models to stay, and men gathered like flies. What am I missing?
I often wonder why people choose examples of AI's crapness that are so far removed from the vast bulk of translation work, which is dry and factual and intentionally devoid of ambiguity. I'm convinced that with a very quick polish MT can outperform most humans on those texts (and that in many contexts that quick polish isn't even needed, but that's another can of worms).
Revising the approximated, the misunderstood and the mediocre, whether human- or AI-generated, takes forever and is mind-numbing and soul-destroying.
Too right! And I don't want to be reduced to that. I find the prospect terrifying.
I wrote:
"Of course I may be wrong about where things are headed, but my bank clients are introducing AI all over the show without confidentiality or the current limitations of the technology putting them off".
"I am already losing work because of AI and I’m at the top end of the market".
Some clarification needed for the record here.
The first quote is rebutting the video's claims that confidentiality and the limitations of the technology mean that it is not a threat. My point is that this is not stopping my bank clients (for whom confidentiality and 100% accuracy are obviously crucial) from using AI in many areas. I'm not saying that they're using it for translation.
The second quote is again not referring to them using AI/MT for translation but more generally. One client is going big on social media and clearly using AI to jazz up their English posts, rather than publishing the information as news items on their website in their own language, which then need translation. Another has recently stopped publishing some reports in their own language. Several are increasingly writing in English in general. AI is helping with that.
I did also have a nice sideline in clinical trial documentation to fill the gaps, but most of that is now going through MT.
How can I not feel threatened?
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| What you chose to miss | Nov 28, 2023 |
kd42 wrote:
and I even wanted to ask for the original and send it to a friend in Busto for clarifications, but what you seem to miss, exactly because you know Italian and probably the world of Italian fashion, is that the two texts are basically the same, they have the same meaning, emotional impact and to me they are identical. If you think that the tiniest nuances implied in the Italian text must be conveyed in the translation, you are mistaken, this is not necessary and. in most cases, impossible without having half a page of footnotes.
is that I wrote “yeah, we still get what it’s saying”.
And are the two texts basically the same? Okay, are you also going to grace us with the revelation that water is wet?
I mean, it’s not like they could be completely different, is it?
Maybe the emotional impact this text had on you overshadowed the fact that I simply said that one translation was nuanced and flawless and the other one poor and sloppy.
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:24
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER | If you don't know this stuff, don't try to make it up | Nov 28, 2023 |
Typically badly written item description (with spelling mistakes) from the Bill of Quantities for a new electrical system:
ITALIAN "Solo posa e allaccio giunti frigoriferi e collettore come da skelton ref-net"
Chat GPT thinks this means "Only lay and connect refrigerant joints and manifold as per the skeleton ref-net"
WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS: "Installation and connection only: REFNET refrigerant joints and collectors as per skeleton diagram"
| | | | Peter Motte 
Belgium
Local time: 09:24
Member (2009)
English to Dutch
+ ...
| Irony is not important | Nov 30, 2023 |
The only texts in which irony comes in, are literature.
But literature has never been the most lucrative form of translation.
Therefore examples with AI missing out irony don't prove AI is not a threat to the translation business.
However, there can be lots of ambiguous elements in a text, which only a human translator can detect. Or text with abbreviations.
Lately I had this:
HP aigu montant arrière.
Turns out the "HP aigu" is a tweeter loudspeaker... I only... See more The only texts in which irony comes in, are literature.
But literature has never been the most lucrative form of translation.
Therefore examples with AI missing out irony don't prove AI is not a threat to the translation business.
However, there can be lots of ambiguous elements in a text, which only a human translator can detect. Or text with abbreviations.
Lately I had this:
HP aigu montant arrière.
Turns out the "HP aigu" is a tweeter loudspeaker... I only found out because I didn't trust the results of literal and automated translations. ▲ Collapse
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