Should I use machine translation/AI?
If you’re looking to get some documents translated, you may be wondering whether there are alternatives to working with a human translator. Perhaps you’ve even tried translating a text with DeepL, Google Translate, or an AI tool like ChatGPT or another Large Language Model (LLM). All these tools have pros and cons. If you’re unsure how – or when – to use them, we’ll be happy to advise you.
First of all, let’s clarify some key concepts. As you may have seen on our ‘Key terms’ page [under construction], we choose to refer to translations generated by AI as ‘machine outputs’ rather than ‘machine translations’ or ‘automatic translations’. This is because whereas translation by a professional human linguist is an intellectual, creative process, translations generated by AI tools are the result of probability calculations based on data and example texts – most of which were written by humans. They may look just like a translation done by a human translator, and may even be perfectly usable in some cases, but in our view, they cannot truly be called ‘translations’.
In some cases, the machine output can be a good starting point. However, to avoid embarrassing mistakes – which often lead to unnecessary expense and delays – the output should always be checked by a qualified linguist. The extent of checking required will depend on the desired level of quality, ranging from basic proofreading and straightforward corrections of grammatical mistakes and errors in meaning, through to extensive editing and rewriting to adapt the text to your target audience and make it easy to understand and pleasant to read.
The Syllabes team of (human!) experts can provide assistance at several levels, taking into account your specific requirements and target audience. Because every project is different, we’ve designed a questionnaire to help determine exactly what level of service you need. Get in touch for more information. By working together we can identify the best solution for your project.
What about confidentiality?
Excellent question! You’ve probably heard some version of the phrase ‘if you’re not paying, you’re the product’. When you use free online tools, it’s unlikely that your texts will remain confidential. Your content will probably be used to further train the tool. And even with paid services, you need to be careful. Make sure you read all the small print, and check the geographical location of the servers used to process your data. Paying for a service does not necessarily guarantee the confidentiality of your data. If you’re handling confidential files or are unsure about using a particular tool, check with your IT or legal department. Alternatively, feel free to get in touch – we can provide advice on translating confidential documents and will be happy to talk through the options with you.
AI at Syllabes
As generative AI becomes more and more widespread, the world of translation – like other sectors – is seeing significant changes. At Syllabes, we’ve always made a conscious effort to stay up to date with technological innovations relevant to our profession so that we can offer our clients the best possible service. AI is no different, and we’re following developments in order to understand how different tools work, what they can – and can’t – do, and whether it makes sense to incorporate these new technologies into our working processes. Ultimately, our goal is to provide our clients with high-quality, ethical language services and honour our commitment to transparency.
This page summarises our research and reflections to date. It is intended as an insight into our experience and practice rather than an exhaustive account of all the technologies and tools available. We aim to periodically update the page as our knowledge and understanding evolve in light of new developments in the sector.
Last update: September 2026