Want to make the most out of AI Tech? Use it as a tool with a purpose.

It seems that the flood of new artificial intelligence-based tools has completely taken over nearly every aspect of our daily lives—as every app now has some sort of branded, sometimes unwanted, AI function. All types of content in all kinds of formats can be generated in a flash with simple prompts, brainstorming sessions can be a lot more productive, and translations have now taken a step further from the machine translation technologies of the last decades.

With such a massive disruptor, it is common now to see many professionals extremely excited about the tech—and some skepticism. From all possible superlatives to dismissive comments, perhaps we could all agree on one thing: AI tools are… tools. We can call them virtual assistants, digital copywriters, or any other fancy name, but they will still be used as (incredibly advanced and customizable) tools for a specific job. And seeing them as tools might be the answer to figuring out when is the best time to use them.

What does it mean to call AI technologies “tools”?

Firstly, It does NOT mean that they are overhyped, or that they ultimately don’t matter, are easily replaceable or unnecessary. Computers are tools too—but they are very much essential for just about any job or business today. Indirectly or directly, computers are all but guaranteed to be present in some way in the process.

Some criteria are necessary for tools to revolutionize societies. Their adoption depends on efficacy (how well does it perform a task), efficiency (do the benefits outweigh the cost of using it), availability (can it be used or acquired by most people in most places), and accessibility (is it prohibitively expensive or does it have a requirement on few people meet.)

Consider AI: its results are outstanding, albeit at times still in need of revision; AI are, in their majority, online tools, so no need for specialized equipment; several AI options are free, and the subscription plans are affordable for individuals and businesses. In short, AI technology is already making a huge impact, and is likely to only extend its influence.

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Humans’ unique relationship with tools

From sticks and stones and breaking bones to the World Wide Web

Let’s backtrack a little bit: what the heck even is a tool? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a tool as “something (such as an instrument or apparatus) used in performing an operation or necessary in the practice of a vocation or profession”, or “a means to an end,” among other similar definitions.

Tools changed the way human societies developed, from breaking stones into primitive handaxes to the locomotive, and finally the Internet and AI tech. Through millions of years, what all tools have in common is, as per the definitions above, that they are a means to achieve a set objective. There’s intentionality in how we humans build tools and develop technology, that is, humans encounter a problem, think of a solution, and devise a way to overcome it through tests and rational thinking. 

As such, to what ends have people created AI? And maybe even more important: what do we want to achieve by using an AI tool?

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In general, we like things to be convenient: we want tools to do a job better, faster, easier, and with fewer resources than we use now. So, in the business world, this normally means to be able to do more with less, either for profit or another kind of impact—what is the KPI you associate with the use of an AI? You could set goals to define what you want to get out of your AI tool usage—the SMART framework has never ceased to be a good tool!

Imitation Game

In translation and localization, we fall into a fundamentally human world: language.

At its very core, machine learning is all about imitating humans, whether to generate content or to translate it (or to sound indistinguishable from a person, in the maybe not-so-distant future.) Although AI is getting pretty good at this ‘imitation game,’ it is still a risk to jump the gun and slap an AI solution to your every problem. After all, what’s better: the imitation or the original?

Another aspect of language that needs to be carefully considered is the human attachment to it. All cultures have a special connection to their own languages. Some cultures go as far as even pointing language as a central piece of their cultural identity: in Quebec, the French language is no trivial matter, and it can cause people, businesses, and governments to fail or succeed when interacting with the province.

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Language, and therefore translation and localization, is exclusively human-focused. It is a means of communication and social interaction between persons and of making sense of the world around us. So AI needs to be able to convey a message that humans understand—and by understanding we don’t mean just being able to read, people need to decode meaning, either rationally or emotionally, or both.

Think ads: how do you want people to react to your ad? What do you want them to do when they look at or hear it? And so, ultimately, the primary question to define whether you want to use AI tools or not is: what is your goal? Depending on what you want to communicate and to which audience, your tools and how you combine them will change.

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Decision time: do you need an AI tool or not?

How do you make this decision? As Steve Jobs used to say: “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” 

In the same vein, before you use a new or complex tool, you ask someone who knows how to use it what you should do. And that also matters depending on the size and complexity of the job: if you need to drive some nails, a good old hammer that feels solid enough will do. But if you have a huge project for the summer in your backyard and you will be spending lots of money on it to make it look nice and pretty, you might look around online and ask a rep at the hardware store which power tools will be the best for your job that fit your budget. 

It is not dissimilar with AI: if you have translation and localization projects, or even interpreting and subtitling jobs, you would definitely like to have a professional and honest opinion on what’s the best course of action. 

Read More: 5 Website Localization Mistakes and Best Practices to Avoid Them

AI might be the best tool for the job, and in the future, the range of jobs it can do with a high degree of accuracy will increase. But it might also be that the best fit for the job is a professionally-trained, highly-skilled team of language professionals—or a mix of human and machine. Translating a bunch of specs for shoes on your website that you want to make available in Spanish for your e-commerce website? AI and other machine translation tools might be a great fit, even the free, readily available ones—though revisions are most likely to be needed. Launching a marketing campaign for the grand opening of your business in another country? Well, if your marketing team isn’t composed solely of robots, then your localization team probably shouldn’t either. There’s a lot at stake here, and humans know best how to communicate with other humans—especially if they are native to the market you are targeting.

Does it matter if we are using AI or not? 

The point is not whether or not we are using it, but how. 

When looking for a service provider, it is normal to ask such questions: do they get the job done? Is their process efficient? How much does it cost? How fast are they? In questioning and studying their offer, you can better understand how the usage of AI tools come in: how does AI add value to their services? If they are not using the newest technology, can they keep up with increased demand as your business grows?

That’s where the word solution is more than a buzz word: you are anticipating a potential problem or road block, so it’s important to make sure you are ready to adapt and have the experts and tools to tackle them. Just like language itself, the localization industry is always evolving and adapting, to be ready for the future and for the ever-changing needs of clients.

Final note 

AI needs to be trained. Who trains the AI? Where does the content fed to it come from? You guessed it right: human beings. AI is being heavily studied and trained to be a good communicator and creator to reach and help human beings. Since we are both the end goal and the original source, we’re not out of the loop yet, and there’s a good chance we might never be. 

Things will certainly change as we learn more, but it’s a huge bet to say our species will sit the next one out in the evolution of business technology.