Published by Words By Lia Translations | Reading time: 6 minutes
Introduction: Navigating the Digital Age of Translation
In an increasingly digital and globalized world, certified translation has become a fundamental pillar for international legal, academic, and business processes.
Simultaneously, the meteoric rise of Artificial Intelligence tools is radically transforming the translation landscape, promising speed and cost-effectiveness.
But beware:
This technological revolution also brings significant risks that cannot be ignored.
✅ Why Certified Translation is Essential
Certified translation represents much more than a simple linguistic conversion.
What actually is a certified translation?
It is a legal document accompanied by a signed statement from the professional translator attesting absolute fidelity and accuracy to the original.
In Portugal, where there is no sworn translator, certified translations are provided by:
- Notaries
- Chambers of commerce
- ⚖Attorneys
- Companies certified by the ISO 17100 standard
When certification is required
This certification is essential for documents intended for:
- ⚖Legal proceedings
Ensuring that all parties understand the legal content - ✈Immigration
- International contracts
- Foreign universities
Birth, marriage, and diploma certificates
Prevents ambiguities that could lead to disputes
Validation of academic qualifications - Business transactions
Financial and corporate documentation
The key difference: legal responsibility
The crucial difference lies in legal responsibility: the certified translator officially attests the fidelity of the translation, assuming legal responsibility for every translated word.
⚠ The dangers of automatic translations by AI
Although tools like Google Translate, DeepL, and ChatGPT have evolved significantly, they have critical limitations that can lead to serious consequences in professional contexts.
Context and Cultural Nuance Errors
AI often translates literally, ignoring:
- Idiomatic expressions
- Regional slang
- Specific cultural references
⚡ WARNING
In legal or medical documents, a single misinterpreted term can result in invalidation of important contracts or penal consequences.
Hallucinations" and Fictional Content
Real case: a lawyer in Santa Catarina was fined for using false case law generated by AI in a legal filing.
The cited cases simply did not exist – this phenomenon, known as "AI hallucination," poses an unacceptable risk in professional contexts.
Absence of Legal Responsibility
Automated systems do not assume civil liability for errors, creating a dangerous gap that exposes professionals and companies to legal risks.
❓ Critical question:
Who is responsible when an automatic translation causes damages?
Loss of Confidentiality
Sensitive documents processed by online AI tools can compromise confidential information, such as:
- Commercial contracts
- Medical data
- Strategic information
Questionable Quality in Technical Terminology
AI has significant difficulty with specialized terminology in fields such as:
- ⚖ Law
- Medicine
- Engineering
- Pharmaceutical
The literal translation of technical terms often results in confusing or technically incorrect texts.
The solution: professional post-editing (MTPE)
The answer is not to abandon technology, but rather to combine it with human expertise.
What is MTPE?
MTPE (Machine Translation Post-Editing) is the professional post-editing of machine translation.
This process, regulated by ISO 18587, consists of the complete review by a professional translator of content generated by AI.
✨ Advantages of the hybrid approach
- ⚡AI speed + human accuracy — up to 60% faster
- Ideal cost-benefit balance
- Reduced prices
- ✅ Professional quality guarantee
- Assumed legal responsibility
- Complete review of context, cultural nuances, and terminology
When to use AI vs. certified professional translation
✅Use AI for:
- Informal emails and personal messages
- Quick understanding of general texts
- Initial drafts of non-critical content
- Social media and casual communication
❌ NEVER use only AI for:
- ⚖Legal documents and contracts
- ✈ Legal proceedings and immigration
- Medical and pharmaceutical documentation
- Official certified translations
- Specialized technical content
- Intellectual property and patents
Conclusion: The Future Is Hybrid, Not Automatic
Certified translation remains an indispensable requirement in legal, academic, and business contexts, providing legal validity and ensuring absolute accuracy.
Artificial Intelligence has revolutionized the industry, offering speed and cost savings, but must never completely replace the professional translator in critical situations.
Ideal approach:
Benefit from the speed of AI under strict supervision of certified translators, ensuring:
- ✅ Impeccable quality
- ✅Appropriate cultural context
- ✅Assumed legal responsibility
Words By Lia Translations: Excellence and Innovation
At Words By Lia Translations we combine:
- Cutting-edge technology
- Over 5 years of experience
- ISCAP certification
Providing translations that unite efficiency and professional excellence.
⚡ Don’t risk your reputation
Don’t risk important projects with unchecked translations.
Always demand certified professional review.
Contact us today:
Do you need certified translation with a quality guarantee?
Free quote within 24h
✅ISCAP certification
5+ years of experience
AI translation review available
Website:
https://wordsbylia.com
Article prepared by Words By Lia Translations – Professional Certified Translation Services
If you found this content useful, share it with colleagues or companies that could benefit from professional certified translations.
#ProfessionalTranslation #CertifiedTranslation #ArtificialIntelligence #MTPE #WordsByLia