ChatGPT is currently one of the most significant technological developments, disrupting every software sector and industry. Its recent integration with Bing has only increased its popularity. The language services industry is also witnessing the impact of this AI chatbot, which is gradually establishing itself as a viable contender against established translation tools like Google Translate. This article delves into the advantages and disadvantages of ChatGPT as a translation tool, and whether it has the potential to compete with Google’s translation services.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3) is a state-of-the-art language model developed by OpenAI, which uses deep learning techniques to generate human-like text. It is one of the most advanced language models available today, with over 175 billion parameters, making it capable of understanding and generating natural language text with exceptional accuracy and coherence. ChatGPT has been trained on a massive amount of diverse text data, enabling it to perform a wide range of natural language processing (NLP) tasks, such as language translation, summarization, and question-answering. It is considered one of the most significant breakthroughs in the field of artificial intelligence and has numerous applications in various industries.
To what extent is ChatGPT proficient in translating content?
As of now, ChatGPT operates solely on text-based inputs from users to generate text-based responses. This differs from the Google Translate mobile app, which utilizes its Lens technology to translate live speech and text in images, making it more effective for translating menus and other non-textual inputs when traveling abroad.
However, when comparing the two tools solely based on their text translation capabilities, an important question arises: How does ChatGPT compare to Google’s most advanced AI translation tool?
Let’s look at some examples.
Comparison between ChatGPT and Google Translate
ChatGPT and Google Translate are both language processing tools, but they differ in their primary functions and underlying technology.
ChatGPT is a text-based conversational AI system that generates natural language responses to text-based prompts from users. It is primarily designed to simulate human-like conversations and provide information or assistance in various domains.
On the other hand, Google Translate is a language translation tool that can translate text, speech, images, and even handwriting between multiple languages. It is designed to provide accurate translations for a wide range of inputs, making it a useful tool for travelers, students, and professionals alike.
While both tools use natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, they differ in their approach to language processing. ChatGPT is trained on a large corpus of text data to learn patterns and generate responses, whereas Google Translate uses a combination of statistical and rule-based models, as well as neural machine translation (NMT) to provide translations.
In terms of their strengths and weaknesses, ChatGPT excels at generating human-like responses and providing conversational assistance in various domains, while Google Translate excels at providing accurate translations for a wide range of inputs, including text, speech, and images. Ultimately, the choice between the two tools depends on the specific needs and use cases of the user.
Exemple :ChatGPT vs Google Translate
To test both ChatGPT and Google Translate, the site translate plus randomly selected a tweet from a non-English speaking account. The tweet they chose came from El PAÍS, a Spanish media outlet, and referred to the Premios Goya 2023 – a prestigious awards ceremony in Spain that honors achievement in arts and film.
They performed a test to compare translations from ChatGPT and Google Translate by randomly selecting a tweet in Spanish from the non-English account of El PAÍS about the Premios Goya 2023 ceremony. To translate the tweet, they used l invite “Translate ‘Descubre todas las actuaciones musicales, horarios, estrellas que entregan galardones, favoritos y un concurso: una guía de la 37ª edición de los Goya’ into English” for ChatGPT, and they simply pasted the Spanish text into Google Translate .
Both translations were very similar, with the main difference being that ChatGPT translated the verb “entregar” as “to award,” whereas Google Translate translated it as “to win” or “to receive.” However, ChatGPT’s translation was more accurate since “entregar” means “to hand over,” “to give,” “to present,” or “to give out,” as opposed to “to win” or “to receive.
The only issue with ChatGPT‘s translation is that it reads awkwardly, with the phrase “stars that award prizes” lacking clarity. For a more detailed comparison between ChatGPT and Google Translate, you can refer to this informative article on Metaroids.com, which includes additional examples.
Is ChatGPT better than Google Translate?
ChatGPT and Google Translate are both powerful AI translation tools that have their strengths and weaknesses. ChatGPT is better at translating content into English than translating from English into other languages. It also outperforms Google Translate in many scenarios, especially when translating from widely spoken languages like Spanish and German into English. However, when it comes to handling more complex language combinations, such as English to Chinese or Vietnamese to French, Google Translate’s investment in specific language training gives it an advantage.
Ultimately, the choice between ChatGPT and Google Translate depends on the specific translation task at hand and the languages involved. It’s always a good idea to try out both tools and compare the results before deciding which one to use. Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that even the most advanced AI translation tools are not perfect and may require human review and editing to ensure accuracy and clarity.
For the translation industry, AI translation tools are already widely used to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, the industry can only partially benefit from advances in AI translation technology since language professionals must still have the necessary knowledge to use these tools properly. This includes implementing a review and editorial process to correct any output mistakes, which ensures both quality and speed. To learn more about how to make the most of language translation technology and AI translation tools, contact one of our experts today.
