Should you use AI/MT for client projects? when it works and when it doesn’t

Lately, everyone’s talking about using AI and machine translation (MT) for translating stuff. It sounds cool, right? Fast and cheap translations at the click of a button! But is it really that simple? Should you use AI or MT for your client projects?

Let’s break it down in a simple way, what machine translation is, how AI fits in, and when it’s actually a good idea to use it (and when it’s not).

What is machine translation (MT) and how is AI used in it?

Machine translation is simply the process of using software to translate text from one language into another without human input at the initial stage. It’s not new; go back decades, and you’ll find basic MT systems that followed strict linguistic rules or word substitution. But these old systems often produced awkward or incorrect translations.

The real game-changer is AI, specifically neural machine translation (NMT). Unlike earlier MT systems, AI-powered MT learns from massive amounts of data, billions of sentences in different languages. It builds complex statistical models that understand context, word order, idiomatic expressions, and more.

For example, Google Translate today doesn’t just translate words literally. It tries to “guess” the best phrasing based on what it has learned from previous translations. This is why AI-driven MT can sound surprisingly natural.

Still, AI is not perfect. It can misunderstand nuances or cultural references, and sometimes it produces “hallucination” errors where it adds or changes information unintentionally.

Can you use AI or machine translation for client projects?

Yes, you can! But it depends on what kind of project it is.

For some jobs, AI/MT works great and saves time and money. For others, it can cause headaches if the translation isn’t perfect.

The key is knowing when to trust AI and when to bring in a human translator.

When does AI/MT work well for client projects?

1. Handling large volumes of text quickly

Imagine a global e-commerce giant launching a new product line with 50,000+ items and customer reviews flooding in every day. Translating that manually? Practically impossible in a reasonable timeframe. AI-powered MT can instantly create a rough translation of the entire catalogue and user feedback, turning weeks of work into minutes.

2. For internal or informal use

If your client needs quick translations of internal emails, project notes, or brainstorming ideas, where perfect grammar or style doesn’t matter, AI translations often do the trick. For example, a multinational company’s internal Slack messages can be auto-translated to help team members collaborate faster across language barriers. 

3. Repetitive or technical texts

Think about a software company releasing an update with hundreds of identical error messages or a factory translating safety protocols with the same phrases repeated over and over. AI systems excel at spotting these patterns and translating them consistently, reducing human fatigue and error. Since such documents usually use fixed terminology and structure, AI can handle the bulk, freeing human translators.

4. Projects with tight deadlines

When time is ticking and the client needs content yesterday, AI translation can produce a first draft in moments. For instance, a news agency covering breaking events across different countries might use AI to translate interviews or reports rapidly. Then, human editors quickly refine the output for clarity and correctness before publication. 

5. Budget-Friendly projects

Not every client can afford full human translation for everything. AI combined with human post-editing often cuts costs by 30-50% while keeping quality within acceptable limits. For example, a startup launching a website in multiple languages may use AI-generated translations for less visible pages, like FAQs or terms of service, while dedicating budget to human translation for marketing pages. 

6. Multilingual projects

When a client needs to translate the same content into a dozen or more languages, say, a tourism board promoting their country internationally, AI can quickly generate drafts in all target languages. Then, linguists prioritise which languages require the most detailed human editing based on market importance or complexity. 

When should you avoid AI or Machine translation for clients?

There are times when AI/MT is a bad idea and can even harm your client’s project or brand. Here’s when you should avoid it:

1. Creative Content: Marketing materials, ads, social media posts, or anything needing creativity, tone, and emotion should be translated by humans. AI struggles to capture brand voice, humour, or cultural references.
2. Legal and Medical Documents: Mistakes in legal or medical texts can be costly or dangerous. AI doesn’t always get technical terms right, so expert human translators are a must.
3. Brand-Sensitive Materials: If your client’s content represents their brand: websites, brochures, or press releases, it needs to sound natural and professional. AI can produce awkward or unnatural phrasing that hurts brand image.
4. Languages with Less Data: AI works best when it has lots of examples to learn from. For rare or low-resource languages, machine translations can be unreliable.
5. Confidential or Private Content: Using online AI tools means sending data to external servers. For sensitive or confidential projects, this can be risky unless you use secure, private AI solutions.

Will clients know if you used AI for translation?

Good question!

Honesty is the best policy.

Some clients can tell when AI was involved, especially if the translation feels stiff or unnatural. They might see repeated awkward phrases or incorrect word choices typical of machine output.

Other times, if the AI-generated translation is carefully reviewed and polished by humans, it’s hard to tell the difference.

Many clients today expect AI tools to be part of the translation process; they appreciate faster turnaround times and cost savings. But they also expect transparency.

At Linguidoor, we always keep clients informed and explain how AI helps us deliver better, faster, and more affordable translations.

Can you mix AI and Human translation in projects?

Yes! This is called post-edited machine translation (PEMT). It’s one of the best ways to use AI for client projects.

Here’s how it works:

• AI creates a first draft translation quickly.
• A human translator reviews and fixes errors, adjusts tone, and makes sure it reads well.

This approach can save 30-50% of the time compared to translating everything by hand.

Post-editing is great for large, repetitive projects or when the budget is tight but quality still matters.

Want to see experts who do this well? Check out Linguidoor, who combine AI and human skills to deliver quality translations efficiently.

Are there legal or ethical issues with using AI translation?

This is a good question because, yeah, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, when you use AI translation tools, especially ones that work online, you’re often sending your client’s text to a third party. So, it’s important to be sure you’re not accidentally sharing something private or confidential. You don’t want any surprises later about where the data went.

Then there’s the question of ownership. Sometimes, the companies that run these AI tools might have rules about what they can do with the text you put in. It’s smart to read the fine print so you know if they keep a copy or can use the content somehow.

Also, if an AI translation messes up and causes problems, like a mistake in a contract or important info, who’s responsible? That’s why it’s important to be clear with your clients about how the translation is done and who checks it.

And finally, there’s the ethical side of things. Being honest with clients about using AI is just the right thing to do. It helps build trust and keeps everything transparent.

At the end of the day, using AI translation is great, but you’ve got to be thoughtful about privacy, ownership, and honesty.

How to talk to clients about using AI or Machine translation

Honestly, when you talk to clients about using AI or machine translation, just keep it real. Say something like, “Hey, there are these cool AI tools that can speed up the translation work, but I always make sure a human checks everything so it sounds natural.” People like it when you’re upfront and not trying to hide stuff. 

You can also mention that it can help get things done quicker or save a bit on cost if they’re watching their budget. And if they worry about privacy, just let them know you’re careful with their info and only use trusted tools. 

The trick is to make it sound like AI is just part of the team, not the whole show. When clients get that, they usually feel good about it and trust you more. Plus, you can always tell them, “We can do it fully human if you want, or mix in some AI to save time.” Easy.

Final word

AI and machine translation are pretty amazing tools that can save you a lot of time and money. But they’re not perfect, and they definitely don’t replace the careful work a real person does. The trick is knowing when to use AI to speed things up and when to bring in a human to make sure everything sounds right.

If you mix them the right way, you get the best of both worlds: faster work without losing quality. Just be honest with your clients, keep their info safe, and choose the right approach for each project.

If you want to stay ahead and make the most of AI without the stress, check out awtomated.com and linguidoor.com. They know how to balance tech and human skill to get you great results every time.

TL;DR:

AI and machine translation are great for saving time and money. They work best for big batches of text, repetitive documents, tight deadlines, multilingual projects, or quick internal communications, especially when a human editor checks the output. But they can fall flat with creative writing, legal or medical texts, brand-heavy content, rare languages, or anything confidential. The trick is to use them as a helper, not a replacement. 

Always be honest with clients about when and how you’re using AI, make sure their data is protected, and pick the right approach for each job. When you mix AI’s speed with a human’s skill, you get faster results without losing quality.