Large corporations such
as Google or Amazon invest millions of dollars a year in the development of machine
translation (Mt) technology. This could expand translation capacity
and potential cost savings. However, although excitement about the
productive aspect the machine translation can be measured, there is a much
more important investment which is ignoring in the process. I speak of the
emotional investment of users of machine translation in a broad sense. I
mean all the people who have been affected by the machine translation,
because there is a very important psychological aspect for all involved,
ranging from customers who buy services of post-edit the linguists that are
involved in the process. Do you think that it is all? Well,
there are many more emotionally affected people: end-users and their sense of
the usability of the product resulting from the machine translation, E-Learning Translation that hire posteriors, academic institutions they work
to develop post-editors and research of automatic translation, developers of
motors in machine translation, etc. are many!
. . The main problem is that
most of the linguistic human resources processing machine translation do not
favorably, not only as a potential threat to their profession (something that
very few actually supported), but also as a tool detestable that mainly it
hinders and stands in his way. Rarely see it as a useful tool for
achieving better results.
While these thoughts can
be based on reasons legitimate (due to defective or traumatic first pilot
experiments with the automatic translation), I can't help but feel disturbed by
the intensity of some of his emotions on the subject, a certain bias
generated by an acute closed vision, a strong barrier that hinders debate over
the topic and its possible advantages.
Several studies on the
subject have shown that individuals who interact in a way regular with this
technology accept the results much more when the engines include some degree of
network neural or learning deep (in comparison with the) system
based on phrases). Is it happens? Simply because they are more likely
to prefer a better flow (Syntax) than accuracy.
That is why I mention
the emotional investment in the machine translation as a key element to
reinvent the concept for users. Understand the latest changes that have
been implemented in the process can help users of machine translation to
overcome their fears.
It seems that the
classical and more standardized machine translation (based solely on comparison statistics instead
of the artificial intelligence) is much more appreciated by frequent users,
taking into account that the latter is more efficient and easier to
"fix" the post-edited; while pre-translated with classical
technology text is evidence that post-edited is more problematic and erratic. This
has probably fueled anger to automatic translation and its bad reputation. The
majority of the users (if not all) accept more material pre-translated with
statistical processing system with rules-based system. It seems that
neuronal machine translation could be the best tool to move towards acceptance
by frequent users.
If you have read some of
my previous posts, you know that I tend to be very apocalyptic when it comes to
flirting with the idea that machines gradually going to conquer the world, but
it seems reasonable that the cooperation between the men and the machines could
lead us a step in the evolutionary ladder that leads to the lighting
either final self-destruction. Either way, looks like an exciting
adventure that no one wants to lose. For better or for worse, all want
secret that dizzying sense of loss of control, at least for a moment. Everything
is part of this emotional rollercoaster ridiculous full of twists and turns
that entails the acceptance of change and how to address it.
