Machine Translation + AI: Smart Automation for Translation

What Is Machine Translation and AI Translation?

Machine translation (MT) is the automatic translation of text by software. Modern systems use neural machine translation and large language models, which translate whole sentences in context rather than word by word — a significant leap over older rule-based tools. AI translation extends this further, handling tone, terminology and formatting instructions alongside the translation itself.

Used well, MT lets you translate far more content, far faster, at a lower cost per word. Used blindly, it quietly introduces errors that damage trust. The difference is the workflow around it — engine choice, terminology control, and human review where it matters.

When Machine Translation Works — and When It Does Not

MT is a strong fit for: large content volumes, internal documentation, knowledge bases and support tickets, product catalogues and listings, user-generated content, and first drafts that a linguist will refine.

MT alone is risky for: marketing and brand messaging, legal contracts, medical and regulatory documents, safety-critical instructions, and anything where cultural nuance or liability is involved. For this content we always recommend human post-editing or full human translation.

Machine Translation with Human Post-Editing (MTPE)

The practical answer for most businesses is a hybrid: let AI produce the draft, then have a native linguist correct and refine it. That service is machine translation post-editing (MTPE), available as light post-editing (accuracy and clarity only) or full post-editing (publication quality, matching human translation). Where content is brand-critical, we recommend professional human translation instead.

How We Choose and Tune the Right Engine

1. Engine selection — MT quality varies dramatically by language pair and subject matter, so we test engines against your content instead of defaulting to one.
2. Terminology and style control — we apply your glossaries, brand terms and do-not-translate lists so output stays on-brand.
3. Translation memory integration — approved translation memory is reused first, so previously signed-off wording is never re-translated.
4. Quality evaluation — we assess raw output on a sample before quoting, so the post-editing effort (and your price) reflects reality.
5. Human review — native linguists edit to the quality tier you choose, backed by ISO-certified quality processes.

Machine Translation for Asian Languages

Asian language pairs are where raw MT struggles most, and where review matters most. Chinese, Japanese and Thai do not separate words with spaces, so segmentation errors cascade. Japanese and Korean encode politeness and honorifics that engines routinely flatten, producing text that reads as rude or oddly casual. Traditional and Simplified Chinese are not interchangeable across markets, and Vietnamese and Thai carry tonal and diacritic precision that small errors destroy.

We work across 120+ languages with deep specialisation in Asian markets, and have delivered 40M+ words across 20K+ projects — so we know which pairs can lean on automation and which need a linguist's hand.

Machine Translation FAQ

What is machine translation?
Machine translation is the automatic translation of text by software. Today's neural and AI systems translate in context, making them far more fluent than earlier rule-based tools.

Is AI translation accurate enough to publish?
For low-risk, high-volume content it often is. For marketing, legal, medical or brand-critical material, raw output should be post-edited by a native linguist before publication.

What is the difference between machine translation and MTPE?
Machine translation is the automated draft; MTPE adds a human linguist who corrects and refines that draft to an agreed quality level.

Does machine translation save money?
Usually yes, because the linguist edits rather than writes from scratch. Actual savings depend on how well the engine performs on your language pair and content, which is why we evaluate a sample before quoting.

Which languages do you support?
120+ languages, including all major Asian languages — Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Thai, Vietnamese, Bahasa, Hindi, Tagalog and more.

Want to know if your content is a good fit for MT? Send us a sample and get a free evaluation →