Can AI do certified translation?
Certification, accuracy, and confidentiality: the three reasons why accredited professional translators are the only choice for certified translations.
The short answer is no, AI cannot do a certified translation for you. Certified translation requires an accredited professional translator. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, BingChat, and other AIs have lots of uses but this isn’t one of them. Your supporting documents are an important part of your application and need to be done correctly. Read on for the three reasons that AI is the wrong choice for this type of translation.
Why AI can’t do certified translation:
3 reasons to choose a professional over AI for certified translation
Certification
Choosing an accredited professional translator for your supporting documents is a must. The authority receiving your documents needs to be sure that the translation is a “true and accurate translation of the original document”. Translators certify this by adding a statement. This statement includes the date of the translation, contact details, declaration of accuracy, and credentials.
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The Government has clear guidance on the standards for certifying translations. Members of the Chartered Institute of Linguists, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting, and the Association of Translation Companies follow these standards.
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Additionally, members are viewed as trusted professionals. Their credentials are easy to check. This is not the case with LLMs. AI does not give you this peace of mind.
The authorities may also want to contact the translator. This is often a standard part of their review of your application. Translators have the advantage of being easily identifiable and contactable. They can respond professionally to any enquiries in a way that is impossible for AI. This accountability is important for the authorities making decisions on your application.
Accuracy
Another area where professional translators are a safer choice is accuracy. Translators have specialist knowledge and experience working with documents from different legal systems. They know that countries have different practices and terminology for the same concepts. They also know what the UK equivalents are.
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Translators are experts in context and cultural nuance. They can see beyond the information in the document. This expertise is a crucial part of an accurate certified translation. Context is one field which AI finds difficult. This shortcoming can have a disastrous effect on the quality of translation.
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Most seriously, AI suffers from “hallucinations”. In effect, this means that it often makes up information and gives unreliable results. This area is a significant challenge as the hallucinations often seem plausible. It is all the more difficult to spot these errors without specialist insight.
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For certified translations, this fault can lead to mistranslations and inaccurate data. Your details may be wrong or your key piece of evidence may not reflect the facts. This makes AI a risky choice for your supporting documents. You cannot rely on it to be accurate.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is another concern in AI translations. Your certified translation will almost certainly contain private and sensitive information. Translators follow data protection principles and use secure storage for their computer systems. The case is much less clear with AI.
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The UK National Cyber Security Centre recommends “not to include sensitive information in queries to public LLMs”. They issue this warning because the information you submit will be stored. It is a relief that this information will most likely not be available to other users. However, the AI owner (OpenAI for ChatGPT, Google for Gemini) can access and use it.
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Trusting a translator with your certified translation gives you greater control over your data. A translator can explain to you how they use the documents you provide. AI can’t give you these assurances. Professional bodies have a professional code of conduct for their members. Confidentiality is included and built into a translator’s way of working.
Why AI tools are a bad choice for your certified translation
AI is a hot topic these days. There are many interesting and useful uses for it. From planning a holiday to coming up with fun stories, it can help you out in a lot of ways.
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For certified translations and important processes, it is a risky option. Professional translators are far more reliable and more beneficial for your application.
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Certification: supporting documents for official purposes need a certification statement. As AI cannot meet the requirements of this statement, there is a much greater chance the translation will be rejected.
Accuracy: AI does not have the grasp of nuance or cultural context that professional translators do. It is also prone to making up information. If the translation is not reliable, then it is not useful.
Confidentiality: there are many concerns over data storage and use with AI. Translators have a strict approach to confidentiality. You can be sure that your personal data will be safe and used only for your translation.
Now you know why professional translators are the best choice if you need a certified translation for use in the UK. They are a much safer and more reliable option than any AI tool. AI brings greater risk and risk is the last thing you want when making an important application.
If you have supporting documents to translate from Spanish or Catalan into English, I’d be happy to help. Get in touch for a no-obligation quote and discussion of how my services can give you peace of mind.