AI vs Human Translation
Modern translation offers two approaches: AI-assisted translation with human post-editing (Standard) and pure human translation (Premium). Understanding the differences helps you choose the right service for your specific needs and budget.
Quick Answer
For most business and personal documents, AI-assisted translation offers excellent quality at lower cost. For legal, medical, or highly creative content, human translation ensures the highest accuracy and nuance.
Compare Your Options
Both services deliver professional, accurate translations - choose based on your priorities
Standard
AI + Human Review
AI-powered translation refined by professional linguists. The AI handles the heavy lifting while human experts ensure accuracy, tone, and cultural appropriateness.
Starting from
£0.07/word
- Neural machine translation technology
- Professional human post-editing
- Quality assurance checks
- Faster turnaround times
- Consistent terminology
- Best value for most projects
Best for:
Business documents, technical manuals, website content, internal communications, marketing materials, and general correspondence.
Premium
Pure Human Translation
Every word translated by experienced human translators from scratch. No AI involvement - just skilled linguists who understand context, nuance, and cultural subtleties.
Starting from
£0.10/word
- 100% human translation
- Native-speaking translators
- Subject matter experts available
- Creative adaptation capability
- Complex legal/medical accuracy
- Highest quality guarantee
Best for:
Legal contracts, medical documents, certified translations, creative content, patents, court documents, and official submissions.
When to Choose Each Option
Business Documents & Marketing
Emails, reports, brochures, presentations, and website content where clarity and professionalism matter, but creative nuance is less critical.
Legal & Court Documents
Contracts, court submissions, witness statements, and legal correspondence where precision and legal terminology accuracy are paramount.
Medical & Healthcare
Patient records, clinical trials, medical reports, and pharmaceutical documents where errors could have serious consequences.
Certified Translations
Birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic transcripts, and official documents for immigration or legal purposes.
Urgent Projects
Time-sensitive documents needed within hours where speed is the primary concern without compromising quality.
Creative & Marketing Copy
Advertising campaigns, taglines, brand messaging, and content requiring cultural adaptation and creative flair.
Key Things to Know
Both Are Professional
Standard and Premium both deliver professional results. The difference is in methodology, not quality standards.
Human Oversight Always
Even AI-assisted translation includes human review. No translation leaves without expert quality checks.
Certification Options
Certified translations for official use always use human translators to meet legal requirements.
AI Keeps Improving
Neural translation technology improves constantly, making Standard service increasingly accurate.
Cost-Effective Choice
Standard service saves 30-40% while maintaining professional quality for most use cases.
Same Confidentiality
Both services maintain strict confidentiality. Your documents are secure regardless of method chosen.
How AI-Assisted Translation Works
Our Standard service uses advanced neural machine translation (NMT) as a first pass, then professional human translators review and refine the output. This hybrid approach combines the speed and consistency of AI with human expertise for nuance and accuracy.
The AI handles vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure while humans ensure the translation reads naturally, captures the right tone, and correctly handles idioms, cultural references, and context-dependent meanings.
When Human-Only Translation Matters
Certain content demands pure human translation from the start. Legal documents require translators who understand legal systems in both languages. Medical content needs specialists who know clinical terminology. Creative content requires linguists who can adapt messaging for different cultures.
For certified translations accepted by courts, immigration authorities, and government bodies, human translation is not just preferred - it's required. The translator must sign a declaration of accuracy that carries legal weight.
Making Your Decision
Consider your document's purpose, audience, and consequences of any errors. For internal business use, Standard delivers excellent value. For external legal submissions or medical records, Premium provides the extra assurance you need.
Not sure which to choose? Our team can review your documents and recommend the most appropriate service. There's no pressure - we want you to get the right service for your specific needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this topic
Yes, when combined with human post-editing. Our Standard service achieves accuracy rates comparable to human translation for most business content. The AI provides a strong foundation that human editors refine for natural flow and accuracy.
No, certified translations for legal and official purposes must be completed entirely by human translators. This is a legal requirement. When you request certification, we automatically use our Premium human translation service.
Standard (AI + Human) pricing starts at £0.07 per word compared to £0.10 per word for Premium human translation - a saving of around 30%. For larger documents, this difference can be significant.
Absolutely. We use secure, enterprise-grade AI systems. Your documents are encrypted, processed in isolation, and never used to train AI models. The same strict confidentiality applies as with human-only translation.
Standard (AI-assisted) is typically faster because AI can process text quickly, leaving more time for human refinement. For urgent projects, Standard often delivers same-day where Premium might need longer.
Yes, absolutely. Many clients use Standard for everyday business documents and Premium for legal or sensitive content. You can choose the appropriate service for each project.
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