Translating with Ai - how good is the artificial intelligence translation of Clonable?
AI-driven translation machines, such as Google Translate and Deepl, have revolutionized the way we translate texts. But how accurate are these machines really compared to human translators? Aren't native translators much better? Or can you still use Ai translators well for some processes. Also discover how Clonable helps website owners to optimize translation quality and thereby also contribute to a better SEO score.
Accuracy of popular Ai translation machines
Google Translate and Deepl have gained worldwide recognition as leading AI translation engines. But like any technological tool, they have their own set of limitations. The question that arises is whether these machines are truly capable of fully understanding the nuances of human language.

The complexity of human language
AI translation machines rely on advanced algorithms and neural networks to generate translations. Despite this advanced technology, they are not infallible at understanding subtle differences and nuances inherent in human language. This leads to challenges in translating idiomatic expressions, cultural references and technical jargon, sometimes losing context.
Qualitative assessment of Google Translate
Looking specifically at Google Translate, since it is one of the most widely used AI translation engines in the world, accuracy varies greatly depending on context. Google Translate's performance also varies significantly between smaller and larger languages, one of the reasons why we at Clonable do not want to offer all languages yet (we want to guarantee a certain level of quality). In some cases, the translation of smaller languages may be less accurate, with an accuracy rate significantly lower than for larger languages. This has direct implications for your translation needs, especially if your target audience includes multiple languages.
The importance of contextual variables
Understanding the variables that affect accuracy is essential. Technical, cultural and contextual factors play a role in determining the effectiveness of Google Translate. As a result, the translation of a simple sentence can vary depending on the complexity of the language and the availability of relevant context.
Here are some important aspects of contextual variables:
Technical Complexity:
- Technical jargon and Technical Terminology: When translating technical texts or technical jargon, a deep understanding of specific terms is essential. Google Translate can have difficulty accurately transposing complex technical terminology, leading to potential translation errors.
Cultural Factors:
- Cultural Nuances and Expressions: Google Translate sometimes has difficulty capturing cultural nuances and specific expressions unique to certain languages. This can cause translations to lose their original meaning, especially in contexts with strong ties to culture.
Contextual Information:
- Missing Contextual Cues: The accuracy of a translation depends heavily on the availability of sufficient contextual information. In some cases, Google Translate may have difficulty correctly interpreting a sentence if the necessary context is missing.
Idiomatic Expressions:
- Idioms and Figurative Language: Translating idiomatic expressions and figurative language is a well-known challenge for machine translation systems. The literal translation of an idiom can lead to loss of meaning if the context is not fully understood.
Multiple Meanings:
- Polysemy and Homonymy: Words with multiple meanings (polysemy) or homonyms can lead to confusion. Google Translate must determine the correct meaning in the specific context, which can sometimes lead to translation errors.
Human versus Ai translation: comparing in terms of accuracy
Human translators have a deep understanding of the nuances of human language. This includes not only the literal translation of words, but also the ability to accurately convey cultural references, idiomatic expressions and technical jargon. The human brain is able to understand context and aptly convey the tone and emotion of the original text.
Technical, legal or specialized content often requires a deep understanding of the field. Human translators can handle this complexity and deliver translations that are not only correct, but also take into account the specific terminology and style requirements of the field.
Cost and time aspects of human translation
While human translation offers unparalleled accuracy, it often comes at a significant cost. Professional translators charge by the word or hour, which can result in significant expenses, especially for larger projects such as website translations. The quest for perfection has its price, and this cost factor can be a limiting factor for companies with budget constraints.
Human translation takes time, and the speed of translation is not always compatible with the needs of a rapidly evolving digital world. Long lead times can be a hindrance, especially in projects that require immediate implementation.
Benefits of AI Translations
Speed and Efficiency
One of the most striking benefits of AI translation is the unparalleled speed with which large amounts of text can be translated. For companies requiring rapid global communication, AI offers significant efficiency gains, allowing time-sensitive translation projects to be handled quickly.
Cost savings
Compared to human translation, AI translation can be more cost-effective, especially when translating large amounts of text. Companies with limited budgets can benefit from the lower cost of automated translation solutions.
Challenges in Embracing AI Translations
Lack of Human Understanding
AI translation machines lack the deep human understanding of context, cultural subtleties and emotional nuances. This can lead to translations that are literally correct but do not fully capture the intended meaning.
Limited Accuracy in Specialization
In specialized fields, such as legal or medical translation, AI translations may fall short. Understanding specific terminology and complex concepts often requires the expertise of a human translator.
Clonable: the synergy between human and Ai translations
Clonable offers an innovative approach by leveraging the strengths of both human and AI translation. It combines the speed of AI with the in-depth contextual interpretation of human translators.
Multiple Ai-engines for improved accuracy
Unlike many AI translation services, Clonable uses multiple AI engines, including advanced services such as DeepL, Google Translate, and ChatGPT. This versatile approach ensures increased translation accuracy, even in the context of smaller languages.
Post-Editing Tools for Refinement
Clonable provides post-editing tools that allow Web site administrators and professional translators to make adjustments to automatically generated translations. This allows users to strike the perfect balance between the speed of automation and the sophistication of human expertise. Ai translation provides a good foundation, then the features of Clonable provide a quick and pleasant way to make finer points afterwards.
Practical tips for optimization with Clonable
- First, check the header and footer, with all the menu items. Why? Because these appear on all pages, and because they are often 1-3 word translations, where there is less context and the chance of errors becomes a bit higher.
- Check your important pages, such as a home page
- Look in your Google Analytics and make a printout of the 10, 50 or 100 most visited urls of the original website. If you check those you will have the site in perfect order for the majority of visitors.
From our experience, we find that about 4-8 hours of proofreading for a 250-page site makes a world of difference.
How qualitative is Clonable in percentages:
- Latin languages without additional proofreading: 98%
- Cyrillic languages without additional proofreading: 95%
- Other languages such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean: 90%
- Clonable With proofreading (several hours per 250 pages): 99%