Rapid advancements in technology, particularly in AI, are shaking the foundations of nearly every sector. In the language industry, AI is transforming how language service providers approach projects and deliver value. And while machine translation tools have become increasingly reliable in recent years, providing more accurate and fluent translations, human intervention is still essential in evaluating the usefulness of these technologies, integrating them into workflows and addressing their blind spots to achieve top-notch results.
At Terra, CEO Marina Ilari and Executive Consultant of Innovation Belén Agulló García work in close collaboration with the entire team to ensure that technology is leveraged to enhance, not replace, the role that humans play in crafting tailored texts.
“We embrace technological progress, but never at the expense of the personal stories, cultural awareness and creativity that we hold dear and that are central to shaping content that resonates with readers,” explained Belén.
Striking a balance between technology and human expertise has been a core focus in Terra’s daily operations. Read on to find out how we draw the best from both worlds.
Centering Human Expertise
“While we engage with advanced technologies, we aspire to promote an atmosphere that values the beauty of the human element,” Marina said.
Technology accelerates workflows, but it’s our team’s creativity, cultural sensitivity and human insight that breathe life into every project and ensure that our localized content strikes the right chord with readers. Artificial Intelligence (AI) often reflects biases present in the data they are trained on and lacks the deep understanding of cultural context and linguistic subtitles needed for truly effective communication. Our expert linguists leverage the awesome capabilities of technologies while also drawing on all their unique human knowledge to provide an unmatched level of quality.
Innovating with Integrity
One clear example of innovation with integrity is our approach to using AI-assisted translation tools. While the potential for efficiency is tremendous, we have an ethical responsibility to the linguists and other language specialists who collaborate with us, so they decide when and how to utilize AI-driven solutions. By working closely with them before deploying any technology in a given workflow, we can make sure that the solution meets their expectations and is an actual aid—and not obstacle—in creating the best possible translations. When our experts decide to use these tools, they thoroughly review the AI-generated content to make sure that it matches cultural and contextual expectations.
At Terra, our commitment to ethical technology has created a culture of trust and responsibility. By intentionally considering how the technology used impacts each collaborator, client, and community we serve, we’ve created an organization that prioritizes human values. This approach has not only enhanced the quality of our work by deliberately safeguarding human insight but has also strengthened client trust. Our clients know that while we use cutting-edge tools, the human touch that makes our service exceptional is never overlooked.
Fostering Trust and Responsibility
A human-centered approach to linguistic tasks fosters ongoing process evaluation and enriches the quality of the work we do. Each project is carefully crafted by expert linguists, who pour their cultural, emotional, and experiential insights into their work. In the localization of video game content, for example, our experts draw on their rich knowledge of the target language and culture to finely tune the game, so it resonates with the audience while remaining true to the original. This approach leads to high client satisfaction and certainty that the crafted content fits different market ecosystems while effectively capturing the brand’s voice.
At the same time, guaranteeing that our final output is not biased by AI and represents the values of diversity and inclusion we passionately support and defend is a priority the team never compromises on. Human sensibilities are constantly changing, and by putting people at the center of our work, we ensure that localized versions are crafted to reflect the current values of each society.
Conclusion
While technology, particularly AI, continues to transform the T&I industry, the role of human expertise is more valuable than ever. At Terra, creativity, judgment, and ethical considerations are not just complementary to technology, they are essential. As we move forward, it’s clear that human value remains at the heart of delivering meaningful, quality results that technology alone simply cannot achieve.
