Technology, Translation and Its Pros and Cons
The world is rapidly changing, and the advancement of new technologies and data management is challenging to keep up with all the new developments in our field.
Everywhere we go (physically and virtually), people talk about Deep Learning, Neural Machine Translations, NPL, and even AI. The threat of robots taking over humans’ tasks seems more realistic than what we read in a science fiction novel…
Or even worse, the notion that translators will be replaced by machines sooner than later…
Should be worry?
I am here to tell you that you should not. My name is Marianna Guedez and after many years working as a translator and interpreter, I entered into the Localization field and experienced firsthand that sometimes technology is not as perfect as we might think. There are still many features to improve, and that as today, machines are not close to replacing humans.
In the following blog entry, I will show you the struggle my colleagues and I face while working on our first Neural Machine Translation project. Then I will talk to you about XLOC, the Keyword’s Studio CMS, and its pros and cons.
My Colleagues and I Worked on our First MT Project – This is What We Learned.
Our simulation was inspired by the idea of working in an MT Project to Translate D&D materials, especially campaigns (both fanmade and official).
MT Project Files
Download the DnD Initial Project Proposal 2021
Watch our presentation
As you can see even working with Machine Translation can be more problematic than we originally anticipated… Which is the reason because is important to learn the new technologies that are available in our field but also comprehend its limitations… So that we don’t have an erroneous perception of the scope of the technology as today.
As the example showed, technology will not replace humans, but knowing about it will give you a more competitive advantage over translators that do not about this world.
Furthermore, I would show you another awesome project that my colleagues and I embark on this year and, although is not related to machine translation, If you are thinking about a career in videogames localization, don’t skip this.
XLOC
Advantages and Disadvantages of a CMS in Videogame Localization
XLOC is the powerful Content Management System (CMS) dedicated to the development of global video games. Currently, XLOC is part of the localization process of Keywords Studios – The famous Global Services Platform for videogame localization that you probably heard about and if not, you should remediate that asap!
Presentation:
A Big Thanks to Keywords Studio for showing us XLOC!
Resources
- XLOC Official page – If your organization if interested in learning more about XLOC I recommend you to reach out, they were extremely accommodating and made us feel at home!
- Keywords Studio
- Jenny McKearney
- Rebecca Guttentag
