The world of technical gadgets is constantly growing, and these days seems prevalent in almost every aspect of daily life. Making communication between people easier has been a hot area for tech development recently, and a new translation earpiece may be poised to threaten the work of human translators and interpreters…
Waverly Labs, a New York-based startup, caused a major stir recently when they announced Pilot, a translation earpiece that allows people who speak different languages to have a conversation. This invention promises nearly instant consecutive translation between the speech it picks up and the language of the wearer. If this sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, you would be right. The idea of a universal translator has been seen in everything from Doctor Who to Star Trek. Could Pilot possibly live up to expectations and eliminate the need for human translators?
Will A Translation Earpiece Replace Human Translators and Interpreters?
The answer is that, at least for now, human translators and professional interpreters are not in danger. This is just the latest iteration of machine translation and interpreter devices, which does not meet the standards set by human translators and interpreters who are experts in both the original and target languages. This means that they are able to distinguish between dialects, understand accents, and have a working knowledge of slang words and how they are used. These are shortcomings for all existing machine translators, and the Pilot is no exception. They do not try to hide this; even in the promotional videos, it is clear that the translated speech is awkward.
Skype Translator, released in 2015, was a major step forward for machine translation designed to aid in communication between two speakers of different languages. Ultimately this program was helpful but did not revolutionize communication. The COO of Waverly Labs recently made an announcement to avoid otherwise inevitable customer disappointment: the Pilot will have a greater lag time than the Skype Translator. Additionally, the list of languages offered with the first release of Pilot is extremely limited. Professional translators and interpreters, on the other hand, are available to translate between all language combinations.
What are the Advantages of Human Translation Services over a Translation Earpiece?
Human interpretation and translation services have clear advantages over newer electronic interpreter and translator developments like the Pilot. If you are looking for accurate and smooth conference interpretation, machine translation will not deliver the results you are after. For an important conversation, such as one between a doctor and patient, a machine should not replace a medical interpreter. People must complete an interpreter training program in order to ensure high-quality language services. The pilot simply can’t be trusted to deliver the most accurate rendition of the doctor’s speech, and miscommunication in circumstances like this could have catastrophic consequences.
Have you ever asked Siri for directions, only to have your phone blast music, or open an irrelevant app? Similar misinterpretations could result from communicating in nonstandard dialects, with thick accents, or in a noisy environment. Humans have a remarkable ability to understand language despite the huge variations between different speakers of the same language, but machines have yet to reach this level of precision. For now, the best translation services and interpreting services, still come from humans.
About Language Connections:
Language Connections is one of the top language service companies in the US. Over the last 30 years, we’ve focused on providing the best business translation services, interpreting services, as well as interpreter training and customized language training programs. In addition to top-tier corporate language training, we offer certified corporate interpreters and professional business translation services in 200+ languages. Our network includes linguists with backgrounds in all major industries. They’re ready to meet your needs, whether they’re for technical translation services, legal translation, government translation services, international development translation services, education translation services, life sciences translation, or something else. Reach out to us today for a free quote on our cost-efficient and timely translation services, interpreters, or other linguistic services.
Language Connections Inc.
2001 Beacon Street, Suite 105,
Boston, MA 02135
Phone: +1-617-731-3510
Email: service@languageconnections.com