Looking for AI medical translations is like searching the Internet for remedies for a headache. Though seemingly trivial, a simple headache can have a million causes, quite literally, especially if it persists. At that point, it’s best to consult a doctor. The same goes for medical translations, which don’t fit well with artificial intelligence at all.
In the past, for example, we compared online translations with the ones done by an agency. We listed positive examples for both online and agency translations. However, for AI medical translations, we found no reason to use a program like ChatGPT or others like it. They’re just too complex and require human intervention, period.
Moreover, a medical translation is best handled by a translator who’s experienced in this type of linguistic relationship. Our agency works with in-house translators who have chosen to focus on medical translations although they are actual doctors. What are the top five reasons why medical translations must be done with a human translator, not with artificial intelligence?
Precision, the most important factor
Medical translations require extremely high precision to avoid misunderstandings or ambiguities that could endanger actual human lives. Artificial intelligence may struggle to reproduce the exact meaning of medical terms or specialized expressions, leading to significant errors in interpreting vital information.
Attention to cultural and linguistic context
Medicine is deeply influenced by cultural and linguistic factors specific to a region or community. Automated translations often overlook these important aspects, potentially conveying incorrect or inadequate information in a particular cultural or linguistic context, leading to context-related problems that must be avoided.
Confidentiality of medical data
Medical data is highly sensitive and must be handled with the utmost care regarding confidentiality and security. Using artificial intelligence for medical translations may raise questions about data confidentiality, especially if the services do not adhere to appropriate data security standards. Most do not.
Human interpretation is unparalleled
In many situations, medical translations require human interpretation to consider subtle nuances. Why? To decipher the clinical context and relevant information for each patient individually. AI translation does not come with this human interpretation and adaptation to the specific needs of the patient or medical professionals.
Ethical responsibility
Using artificial intelligence in the medical field is a major ethical issue, especially concerning people’s lives and health. There must always be human oversight and a detailed evaluation of medical translations made with the help of artificial intelligence to avoid potential negative consequences or errors that could have a serious impact on patients or the medical process itself.
How do you recognize an AI medical translation?
Identifying an AI medical translation can sometimes be difficult. In fact, it’s almost always the case. But not because the translations are surprisingly well done, but because people have too much confidence in a computer program. However, some clues could suggest that the text is the result of AI-assisted translation.
Lack of terminological coherence
Automatically generated translations may lack terminological coherence between different parts of the text, as opposed to human translations. Some expressions or terms may be translated incorrectly or inconsistently.
Unusual grammatical structure
Sometimes, automated translations can lead to unusual grammatical structures or syntax errors that are not commonly encountered in human language.
Errors in meaning or understanding
Machine translation may not grasp the precise meaning of medical terms or medical context, leading to errors in interpreting vital information.
Contextual subtleties are missing
Automated translations lack the human sensitivity to the specific context of a sentence or medical situation, which can lead to incorrect interpretations or the loss of semantic subtleties.
Use of common keywords
Certain automated translations may use a common set of keywords or phrases without considering the terminological and stylistic variety of medical language.
To verify if you are dealing with AI medical translations, it is advisable to analyze the text thoroughly and compare the translation with trusted sources or translations made by human experts. Additionally, it is recommended to consider the context in which the translation is used and to verify if it is medically and linguistically appropriate.
It’s best to start with human translators directly, especially those who deal with the medical field. Translators with a background in medicine, doctors, or pharmacists who know exactly how a medical translation should look and sound like from the very beginning.
