Trends in Machine Translation for 2022 and beyond

The use of Machine Translation (MT) is continuously increasing as more companies and brands intend to reach global audiences.

This means an escalation in demand for localization and translation services.To cope with this demand, business translation services must be able to work with tight deadlines and implement strategies to be more productive. In order to get better and faster results, translation agencies must be aware of the new trends in translation and how to take advantage of them.By 2021, the translation industry was valued at over 56 billion dollars, according to Statista, and the projections show it will keep growing.

Here are the trends in Machine Translation to watch out for in 2022 and beyond.

‍CAT Tools and Artificial Intelligence

Computer-Aided Translation Tools (CAT Tools) are not exactly new, but there are translators who still don’t use them on a daily basis. Research by ProZ in 2019 shows that 88% of professional translators use at least one CAT Tool. The most important characteristic they look for in translation software is ease of use.CAT Tools offer several features to help in the process, including artificial intelligence (AI) to provide Neural Machine Translation (NMT).

As the professional writes, for example, the AI can predict and suggest expressions and sentences, so the user does not have to type every word. CAT Tools also allow the person to create and share translation memory, glossaries, and term bases.

Some CAT tools support different file extensions, from “.docx” (Microsoft Word) to “.idml” (Adobe InDesign), making it easier to manage and keep all translation projects on the same software.These tools are an important asset for in-house team collaboration and can be integrated into other translation platforms.

‍Machine Translation Post-Editing

‍Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) blends NMT and human expertise as well as lower costs. The machine does the translation relying on deep learning AI and the role of the linguist is to proofread and edit the final text. Hence, NMT is one of the trends in translation that will remain relevant for 2022 and beyond.

The improvement of MT quality does not mean human translation is expendable. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is expected that the employment of translators and interpreters to increase by 20% from 2019 to 2029.

Translators can benefit from AI to provide more effective and quicker translation services.It is important to understand, however, that there is no perfect MT and that the AI cannot detect cultural specificities, irony, word games, and subtle differences in word choices. NMT accuracy can vary and, at times, translators might even have to rewrite entire paragraphs.

‍Translation platforms

As companies look for international expansion, they need to go multilingual. Besides website localization, specialized translation and transcreation services are among the numerous translation projects organizations must manage. That is the reason translation management platforms are also a current trend in translation.

‍Bureau Works, for instance, is a translation platform that provides automation and localization management. It stores your translation memory, allows you to control your brand terminology easily, and uses AI to assign your projects to the best translators in the industry.The customizable user interface makes it easier to supervise the workflow so that each process is transparent, no matter how many tasks you upload on the platform.

The system also uses web crawlers to keep track of changes and updates so that you can preset triggers for automated job requests.Following the latest trends in translation, Bureau Works ensures consistent translation processes and the Localization Efficiency Index (LEI) to track how easily your content reaches your audience. The platform supports over 100 languages.

‍What is next for Machine Translation?

‍As you might have noticed, there has been a growing interest in MT and in the development of AI solutions for translation services. The combination between AI and human expertise leads to the improvement of quality, accuracy, and speed.Productivity maximization with translation software is the goal for many companies and startups as they choose to invest in new technologies.

There is still a lot of room for machine learning to develop along with MT and other language services.So, what do you think about the future of the translation industry? Are you using any translation platform to manage your projects? Stop worrying; start translating in a new way with Bureau Works.