The huge impact that AI is having on many walks of life and most industry sectors is hard to ignore. Many people now have access to vast amounts of information via the smartphones in their pockets. In fact, automated translations have been accessible for a long time; however, this has not replaced the need for human translations. 

At AaGlobal, we have provided high-quality and trustworthy interpreting services and translations for over 30 years. With our experience of translation services in the UK, we cannot deny the effect of AI technologies on our industry. So, how do interpreting and translation agencies respond to this era of fast digital progression?

Are computers taking over? 

Artificial intelligence has long been part of science fiction but has become part of science FACT over recent years. AI has been at the centre of many conversations recently, but this is not a new development by any means. 

Artificial intelligence has been suggested in books as far back as the 19th century. Samuel Butler’s novel, ‘Erewhon’, published in 1872, proposes machine consciousness. Movies have long loved the idea of AI. Films like ‘Metropolis’ (1927) and Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece ‘2001: a Space Odyssey’ (1968), with the frightening HAL 9000, famously depicted autonomous machines. So, this idea of computers with independent thought is not a new one. 

It feels like AI has come on leaps and bounds in a very short space of time. Technology, in general, is developing at a faster rate than ever before. However, when we consider the impact on translation agencies, we should remember that Google Translate was launched in 2006. So, people have had access to translation applications for nearly 20 years, and we have seen how automated translations aren’t accurate. 

In November 2022, we saw the launch of ChatGPT, which has remained at the forefront of many conversations ever since. Over the last year and a half, many people have discussed whether applications like ChatGPT could take over people’s jobs. Last week (May 2024), ChatGPT launched GPT-4o, which has a wide range of new features, including live translations. Could this have an even more detrimental effect on interpreting and translation services in the UK?

Is AI up to the job? 

We’ve already inferred that previous experience has shown that automated translations are not precise. Despite the development and improvements made with GPT-4o, there is still no replacement for human interpreting. Our Business Development Manager, Chantelle Akdemir, points out, “I’m sure that simple chats like getting directions from the hotel to the beach can be translated easily enough. However, AI cannot deal with the intricate real-world events discussed during business conferences.”

We also cannot forget that we are still talking about machines, and humans are a strange breed with strange habits. Numerous tests have been carried out, and the differences between human and AI translation are still worlds apart. 

Our language is so finely nuanced; even more than that, every language has its own quirks. “No robot can yet figure out the difference between us Brits having “our tea” or someone making a hot drink’, says Chantelle, “and our language is full of even more nuances like that.”

How safe are AI translations?

There are many considerations when looking for translations for whatever service you need. Obviously, accuracy is the most important factor. However, there is even more to think about when looking at your options for translation services. 

Translations take many forms and require a range of complexity. When we consider technical translations or legal translations, accuracy is imperative.  There is no room for error when translating a training document or technical user manual. In addition to the importance of accuracy, when working on legal or certificate translation services, these often require authorisation or notarising by legal professionals. A professional translator has to swear that they have completed a translation; this provides a level of guarantee unachievable with AI. 

Many interpreting and translation agencies, like AaGlobal, work with sensitive clients like social services and legal practices. The work in these industries is often personal and complicated and comes with security concerns. There are many GDPR considerations when using third-party applications like ChatGPT to translate sensitive documents.

Is there room for AI?

So, is there a place for artificially generated translations in the industry? It would be unwise to say that there is no possible use for AI translation. As we’ve mentioned, basic translation is absolutely possible with applications like Google Translate or ChatGPT. In fact, we have to acknowledge that people of different languages being able to communicate with each other instantly has to be a good thing, right?

Is AI likely to take over and risk the jobs of thousands of linguists around the world? Our opinion is, no, certainly not for the time being. However, let’s look at some real-world examples of technology and its impact on the work environment. 

During the industrial revolution in the UK in the 18th century, it was feared that machines would take jobs away from the manual workforce. However, the opposite proved to be the case. As factories were manufacturing more products, they needed more staff to deal with the increased business. The same can be said of interpreting and translation services. As technology increases, companies are finding their operations expanding into foreign markets, meaning more digital content needs translating. We have many clients that require websites to be translated and localised into other languages. Or companies need business manuals or documents translating for foreign offices to enable them to export for example. 

It is clear that on a rudimentary level, AI is useful in helping us understand other languages, but that’s not the whole story. It is important to realise that there are practical and security limitations to AI technology in our industry.

AI and Chat-GPT can be used to support the work we do. However, AI will not replace the human interaction that proves to be indispensable when dealing with technical translations or sensitive conversations. 

AaGlobal’s reliable language people

Business Development Manager Chantelle Akdemir says, “We are aware of the impact that AI is having on our industry, and we are not ignoring it. 

“We will embrace technology that helps our translators, but we will not replace them. AI technology must be used sensibly and thoughtfully to help our translators whilst maintaining our high-quality service commitment to our clients.”

Chantelle continues, “Our human touch ensures that our translations are accurate and embrace the cultural differences that make us unique”. 

If you need help translating documents or interpreting at your appointments, contact our friendly team today.

As businesses and individuals grow, the world is becoming a smaller, more accessible place. Expanding into new locations and taking in vast landscapes means that translation services are becoming a crucial part of communicating with new clients.

From documents and certificates to user manuals and websites, people need to be able to communicate within a global market. With over 7000 officially known languages in the world, it can be tricky to connect and correspond with everyone. AaGlobal has a comprehensive understanding of the importance of languages across a variety of sectors, but why would you need a quality translator? Let’s find out.

What is translation? 

In its most basic sense, translation is the process of taking words from one language and rewriting them into another. It sounds simple, assuming you speak both of the languages in question, of course. However, taking one text and making it understandable in another language is more complicated than it may first appear. 

Languages, like life itself, have undergone centuries of evolution. Words take on different meanings, and new words are added to our lexicon what seems like every day. So this means that it is not always easy to directly translate from one language to another and make sure that the meaning remains the same. 

How can translation services benefit me?

Our planet is becoming a smaller place as we are able to travel easier and faster. With the evolution of emails and video calls, we have the facility to communicate with people on the other side of the world with little or no effort. Whilst this is an incredible feat, it does pose potential issues and pitfalls for companies or individuals if they are not prepared. This is where translation services in the UK can help bridge that language gap. 

From manufacturing to hospitality to personal matters, it is difficult to think of an area where translation services wouldn’t provide some benefit. Whilst for some, needing a translation might be a once-in-a-lifetime requirement, for some organisations, translations are required every day. 

Who needs translation services anyway?

There are so many instances where changing text from one language to another is not only a requirement but essential. Miscommunication and misunderstanding can cause problems, so it is vital to make sure that text is translated accurately. This means that most sectors and industries require some form of translation at some point. Here are some examples of where translation services have proved indispensable. 

Private Sector Translating

Whether a business operates within manufacturing, retail or in the service industry, there are loads of instances where translation services have been required. It is also important to ensure that translations are completed effectively, but most importantly accurately. 

If you think about pretty much any product you might buy, the chances are it comes with an instruction manual. That manual will give you instructions and safety warnings for that product in your language and a raft of other languages, too. That means that several translators have been involved in the printing of that manual. 

Businesses need manuals translating for a number of reasons, including retail products, machinery/automotive uses or staff training. Technical translations require a further level of skill and accuracy; businesses need to know they can rely on the results. 

Public Sector Translations

Public sector organisations are a large user of translation services around the UK. There are a number of people residing in the UK whose first language is not English. Organisations within education, healthcare and social services need to communicate with people from all walks of life.  

For example, one of the most obvious instances within the healthcare sector is patient letters. It is a regular occurrence for an NHS Trust to have to send correspondence to a patient. This could be for a number of reasons, including outpatient appointments. It is important for everyone involved that the recipient of that letter understands what has been written. So, providing letters in a patient’s mother tongue means that they get the treatment they need. It also means that the clinic doesn’t have to deal with costly missed appointments. 

Personal Matters

As we’ve discovered, the world is getting smaller. Now, many people are travelling further, which means they are experiencing more and meeting new people. With that comes people buying property abroad, emigrating and even finding and falling in love with people from other countries. 

Having the freedom to travel around the world is incredible, but the word “freedom” is a bit of a misnomer. The ability to live or work in another country comes with certain legalities to overcome. That also means legal documentation. So, individuals find the need for documentation translation services to translate marriage documents, property deeds or immigration papers. 

Translation Services that connect you with the world

As people around the world are getting closer together, translation services become more of an essential requirement for everyone. From businesses to private individuals, translation services help people understand documents, websites, manuals and more. 

In fact, it is highly likely that most of us encounter text daily that has been through a translation service. So, in answer to the question, “Who needs translation services?” the answer is “pretty much everyone”. Whether you have been involved in the translation directly or whether you have read something that has been translated, everyone benefits from accurate translation services. 

AaGlobal are language people who have been completing translation services since 1992. With over 14,000 linguists at our fingertips, there is not a corner of the globe we cannot connect you with. We give our clients peace of mind that translations are completed by native speakers with a natural understanding of languages. 

Speak to us to find out how we can connect you with a global audience. 

Crown Commercial Service is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office and supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2019/20, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits worth over £1bn – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.

The Language Services framework provides innovative language services designed to meet the public sector’s core needs. These services include translation, interpretation (including telephone and video interpreting) as well as machine translation.

We will be supplying translations, transcriptions, ancillary services, telephone and video interpreting and face to face interpreting including BSL interpreting regionally and nationally for the CCS from both our Worcester and Hull offices and we are really proud to be a part of one of the biggest frameworks in the country.

If you would like any further information on this framework agreement, do get in touch with us.

CCS Contact:
The Commercial Agreement Manager at CCS – John Devery
Commercial Agreement Manager – Language Services
Crown Commercial Service
The Capital, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9PP

john.devery@crowncommercial.gov.uk

AA Global Language Services has appointed Chantelle Akdemir as Head of the Translation Department.
A key responsibility will be for Chantelle to maximise the benefits of a new IT project in partnership with colleagues Andrei Sparling, the company’s Director of Operations, and Special Development Projects Manager Ignas Mikoliunas.
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AA Global, said: “Chantelle’s appointment coupled with the new investment will add an important new dimension to our business by enabling us to expand our international activity and sell into other countries more effectively. “It will help us become a truly international businesses and it is being driven by a new generation of directors and managers.”
AA Global was launched in Worcester 27 years ago and it will be 10 years in 2021 since the company expanded to Hull. Now the company has a larger Hull office and the initial workforce of two has grown to around 25, with a vast increase in the number of linguists operating around the world. Kirk said: “When we launched we had six linguists offering two languages and over the years that has increased to around 15,000 working with 500 languages and dialects. “When we started the work was purely written translations to private sector businesses but now AA Global is one of the most predominant language service providers to the public sector. The investment will help us increase our private sector business, especially overseas, and update our systems to manage that process much more efficiently. “Our current system works well but we are looking to the future, improving our technology and empowering young people to change the way we work. “We invested significantly last year in upgrading the system for managing interpreters and now we are building on that. It will make a big difference to the way we work, making communication between our people more effective and more secure.”

AA Global took the top spot in in over half the categories measured by ESPO, scoring more than 90 per cent in all but two groups.
The company, which also has an office in Worcester, was number one in providing managed services to police, health and in local government and the wider public sector. It was also top for remote video spoken and non-spoken services and for translation, transcription and additional services. For
face-to-face non-spoken services AA Global was ranked first in all 12 regions in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, finishing top in 18 of the 31 categories overall.
ESPO provides more than 27,000 products and services across 120 frameworks to more than 200,000 customers. Suppliers are assessed on financial stability, track record, experience and technical and professional ability.
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AA Global, said: “ESPO is a very large and important framework and inclusion indicates our status as a major player in the country, operating in the same league as some very big organisations. “The listing is primarily a guide for the public sector but it is also recognised in the private
sector as a hallmark of excellence. Last time we made the top four in most categories so this shows a big improvement in a sector which is more competitive than ever, with more than 200 companies applying to be included. “I’m extremely grateful to our team for helping us secure this recognition. It sends a positive
message about our commitment to providing the best language services. We are now focused on continuous improvement to build on this success and to address the two areas where we dipped below 90 per cent!”
AA Global, a key supporter of the Chamber’s International Trade Centre, employs nearly 15,000 translators and interpreters who between them cover more than 500 languages. Of the current permanent
workforce of 25, more than 20 are based in Hull.

Andrei Sparling, who began his career with AA Global at the firm’s Worcester office, has worked across all aspects of the business and played a pivotal role in its expansion and in establishing Hull as head office. His promotion recognises his role in overseeing a major investment in new technology and in planning further improvements to connect the worldwide network of interpreters and translators.
AA Global employs nearly 15,000 translators and interpreters who between them cover more than 500 languages. Of the current permanent workforce of 25, more than 20 are based in Hull, with Andrei one of the earliest arrivals in 2012, a year after joining the firm full time.
Andrei, who comes from Moldova, has lived and worked in Spain and in the UK. He speaks English, Moldovan, Romanian, Russian and Spanish. He said: “We were starting from scratch in Hull
and I was taking ideas from our operation in Worcester as we developed the new office. I still spend time in different departments to gain a better understanding of how things work and how to improve. “I use my passion for technology and innovation because I believe this is the way forward. We are directing our considerable investment in IT to build new platforms such as video interpreting and more advanced telephone interpreting which enables clients and our linguists to work together in a more robust and secure way.”
Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AA Global, said: “Andrei has accepted every challenge thrown at him, including leaving his home town and joining our Hull office when we first opened here. “He has been instrumental to our growth throughout the years and thoroughly deserves this appointment. His promotion also
demonstrates how at AA Global we value and reward the hard work and loyalty of our employees.”

An expanding language services company has completed the latest phase of a major investment programme as it delivers improved services for clients in the public and private sectors.

AaGlobal, a key supporter of the Chamber’s International Trade Centre, recruited HBP Systems to upgrade its entire IT system and switch to a cloud-based operation which will support the company’s round-the-clock operations.

Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AaGlobal, said: “It is a major investment by the business – in recent years we have invested significantly in people, property and now IT and they are all linked.

“The improvements to property and IT are helping us create a better and more productive working environment for our growing numbers of staff. That in turn enables us to improve services for our client base which extends across the world.”

AaGlobal was founded in Worcester 27 years ago and has grown considerably since opening its Hull office with a staff of two in 2011. In addition to the 30 people who work across the two offices – with more than 20 in Hull – AaGlobal employs around 14,000 translators and interpreters worldwide who cover 500 different languages and dialects.

Kirk said: “The business is bigger and much more sophisticated and we needed an IT upgrade which could deal with that, supporting our 24/7 operation and ensuring security, which is particularly important for our public sector clients.

“The new system will also support our private sector clients as they look for new markets overseas. It brings greater capacity and protection, and the outcome is that we are ready and waiting for those companies who want to reach out further afield.

“We can help to introduce businesses to the new markets in the languages that open the doors to potential customers and we can also provide essential advice about cultural matters and the different ways of doing business, because it is important for people to understand that communication is about more than conversation.”

Mike Peck, IT Sales Consultant at HBP Systems, said: “AaGlobal have embraced a very modern way of working, utilising cloud technology which enables their staff to work quickly and efficiently. Ultimately, the team at AaGlobal were focused on optimising their own service so, we worked together to ensure speed, reliability and security were all top priorities when designing and implementing their new IT solution.”

A message to all of our clients, interpreters and translators,

We are continuing to support our clients and our interpreters in line with government guidance with the majority of our staff working remotely. For any further information please contact us as usual by email on interpreting@aaglobal.co.uk.intern.

Stay safe everyone.

As you are all most likely aware, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become more widespread, so we would like to inform all of our colleagues and freelancers of the necessary precautions to take whilst out and about.

Do:

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately
• wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

Don’t:

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

The symptoms of coronavirus are:

• a cough
• a high temperature
• shortness of breath

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness.

The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu. If you do think you may have the virus, you’ve recently been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus (see the advice for travellers on the Government’s Foreign Travel Advice page below) or you’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus please contact the NHS 111 Coronavirus service.

There are some countries and areas where there’s a higher chance of coming into contact with someone with coronavirus. Please check the Government’s Foreign travel advice for up to date information on travel to all countries effected for full details:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/advice-for-travellers/

We will continue to monitor updates from the UK Government website as well as follow advice from all of our NHS clients, but if you are unsure on how this may affect you then please don’t hesitate to contact us.