Not always! Sometimes AI translation is exactly what you need to get the job done. A good translator will be happy to tell you whether your text needs a professional human translator or if AI will do.

Some texts don't actually need to be translated by a human. There. I've said it. It probably seems odd to read that here. But after years of working as a freelance Dutch-to-English translator and seeing how much machine translation has improved, I know that not every text needs a human's time and attention. In some cases, AI will do just fine. And that leaves more room in the budget to hire a human to create a high-quality translation when the text really matters.

When do you not need a human translator?

When you just need the gist

If you're trying to figure out what's being said in an email or want to know the key points in a foreign newspaper article, machine translation is perfectly fine. You'll get the general idea, and that's good enough.

When the most important thing is the lowest price

If price is the only factor, machine translation might be the right choice. A freelance translator is unlikely to compete with free tools, and they shouldn't try to.

That said, there is a middle ground: post-editing. In machine translation post-editing (PEMT or MPTE), a professional human translator takes an AI translation and edits it into something more natural, idiomatic, accurate and effective. Post-editing rates are a fraction of what you'll pay for a full translation, and for the right kinds of texts, it can work well.

When the deadline is impossibly short

Need 15,000 words translated by tomorrow morning? A human translator can't do that – at least not to a standard that's worth paying for.

High-quality translation takes time, not just to write, but to research, revise and ensure the tone is just right. And good human translators are very careful, even fussy, which takes even longer. It's not that we can't do rush jobs. Many translators can turn out around 3,000 words a day without sacrificing quality. But you shouldn't expect a translator to work to very short deadlines if your text is going to be seen by (potential) customers.

If speed is more important than style or nuance, you're probably better off using AI. You can still ask a real, human translator to review it before it's seen by others.

When do you need a human translator?

When the text matters

If it's going to be shared with people outside your organisation or used to promote your brand, it's always a good idea to find a human translator. Human translators beat AI hands down when translating:

Marketing material with a brand voice
Text that needs to build trust
Copy that needs to persuade or drive sales
Creative or literary work
Public-facing or client-facing content

Because, for now at least, only a human can create copy that truly resonates with other humans.

Want to know about human versus AI translation for your text?

If you're not sure if you can use ChatGPT or if your text needs a human translator, just ask – I'll be honest about whether I'm the right person for the job.

Do You Really Need a Human Translator?