What began a few years ago with translations that most people could intuitively recognize as computer-generated has now felt light years further. Chatbots can now conduct conversations almost at eye level, recognize, process and explain documents, and translate all of this into dozens of languages. Although they are not primarily intended for translation, their results are often more than passable. In everyday life, however, millions of people use “Google Translate” every day. And if you want particularly good translations, go to “DeepL”. These interpreters are essential.
With “DeepL” users can have texts in different formats translated. Typing or copying a text into the search mask on the homepage only takes a few seconds and is free. After registering, it is also possible to upload PDFs, Word documents and Powerpoint presentations and have them translated by “DeepL”. However, this function is limited to three translations per month with a free account; for more, a paid subscription is required. “DeepL Write”, which even helps native speakers with the style of their texts, is still in the beta phase. “DeepL” is currently available in 32 languages, most of them European and some Asian.
“Google Translate” is one of the most used translation services on the Internet and offers a variety of functions. People often use the service without being aware of it, for example when they have websites translated into their native language in the Chrome browser. The app, which is pre-installed on billions of smartphones, allows users to point their cell phone camera at any text, which then automatically appears on the screen in the target language. In 2020, Google switched “Translate” to neural learning and has significantly improved the quality of translations since then. And Google now also installs adaptive processors in its smartphones that can translate offline in real time. Thanks to such services and its enormous reach, “Google Translate” remains relevant for translations.
The Large Language Model (LLM) “ChatGPT” has taken the world by storm in a very short time, not least because of its linguistic competence. Any text can be translated, but the results are not on such a polished level as with “DeepL”, which is specially trained for translations. Nevertheless, “ChatGPT” and its counterparts such as “Google Bard” or Microsoft’s “Bing AI” are able to translate texts quickly and reliably in such a way that you don’t notice at first glance that they are computer-generated. Their strength currently lies in the breadth of languages supported, including abstract languages such as programming languages or music notes. In order to bring texts written by chatbots to a higher quality level, it is worth taking a look at software such as “Grammarly”, “Language Tool” or “DeepL Write” to hone the text even further. Most scenarios can be successfully covered with a combination of the apps and applications mentioned.
