Over 430 languages are spoken in the U.S. alone, so it’s only natural for businesses to want to use free translation tools like Google Translate, Apple Translate, or even ChatGPT. While these automated services do a decent job, many rightfully ask, “Can ChatGPT Translate Accurately?” and “Can it replace professional translation services?”
The answer might surprise you.
The same goes for legal transcription services; automation can’t fully capture context, tone, or complex terminology. In critical fields like law, accuracy and human understanding remain the most important factors.
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- ChatGPT and other AI tools often fall short in accurately translating idioms, legal terms, and culturally nuanced expressions.
- Critical documents such as legal, medical, or business materials require human translators to avoid serious errors and protect your brand reputation.
- Relying on professional services like Ditto Transcripts ensures clarity, accuracy, and cultural appropriateness in every translated or transcribed document.
What Is ChatGPT Doing In Translation
Just a few short years ago, having an “AI-powered tool” sounded like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but fast-forward to today, and it’s found in almost everything we use. Even phones now have fancy new AI features that I still don’t fully understand how to utilize.
The point is that technology has improved significantly over the years, and models like OpenAI excel at providing general answers to questions or even generating images, provided you have the right prompts to ask ChatGPT.
However, can ChatGPT also help with translation tasks? Anyone who works in the field knows just how complicated languages are, which is why even advanced AI still loses its footing when translating from one language to another – yes, AI translation still isn’t reliable at this point.
For example, a simple phrase like “He pleaded guilty to the charge” could be mistranslated by AI as “He admitted guilt to all charges”. It is a subtle but profound error that completely changes the legal meaning. In professional settings, particularly in court proceedings or depositions, such inaccuracies can lead to a misinterpretation of evidence or even impact case outcomes.
That’s why trial transcription services play such a vital role. When paired with accurate human translation, they ensure every word, tone, and statement is faithfully captured and correctly understood across languages. This combination maintains the integrity of legal records and prevents costly or damaging misunderstandings that automated tools can easily introduce.
I mean, these machines can certainly translate languages much quicker than any translators could, but they fail to recognize finer details that humans naturally understand, like honorifics or expressions. That said, I don’t think AI is to blame for it; learning a language is just complicated to begin with.
Also, documents translated by ChatGPT look good at first glance, especially if it’s not your native language. However, suppose you do get a native speaker to examine them. In that case, they’ll instantly spot the errors – a case in point is our Arabic-speaking staff member, who once complained that reading ChatGPT’s 3-pager translation made them feel like trying to decipher hieroglyphics.
Why Should Translations Be Accurate?
I could come up with an extensive list of reasons why translations must be accurate. Even so, that’s not the point of this discussion, right? So, let’s only focus on what’s most important.
| Areas | Description |
| Legal Documentation | Translation inaccuracies in legal documents are the last thing you’d hope for your business. The same level of precision required in court transcription services applies here, as even minor errors can change the meaning of contracts, testimonies, or rulings, making professional human translation and transcription essential for maintaining legal integrity. |
| Medical Field | Mistranslations of treatment instructions can mean life or death to a patient. |
| Business Negotiations | Imagine what would happen if you encountered inaccurate translations while negotiating with foreign business partners. |
| Cultural Sensitivity | Translation mistakes can be offensive. |
Can ChatGPT Translate Accurately?
ChatGPT can not yet accurately translate text. Although there have been reports that it can perform better than other models in terms of accuracy, it’s far from 100% – not even by a long shot. And depending on the language, it can be a complete nightmare. We tested the chatbot ourselves, so I believe I can speak for it.
| ChatGPT Limitation | Explanation |
| Fails to Translate Idioms | ChatGPT often translates phrases literally and misses cultural context. For example, the Spanish phrase “no hay tu tía” becomes “there is no your aunt,” instead of “there’s no way around it.” Professional translators and verbatim transcription services ensure such nuances aren’t lost. |
| Performs Poorly With Uncommon Languages | Lacking sufficient data, ChatGPT struggles with less common languages, such as Amharic or Runasimi, leading to inaccurate or incomplete translations. |
| Struggles With Social Language Cues | AI cannot handle languages that rely on hierarchy or formality, such as Japanese or Korean, where speech changes based on social relationships. |
| Simplifies Complex Grammar | ChatGPT often flattens complex grammatical structures (e.g., German to Korean), losing meaning or context in translation. |
| Masks Errors With Good Writing | It produces smooth, natural sentences that can be contextually wrong—like mistranslating Finnish legal terms—posing serious risks in formal documents. |
Why Choose Ditto Transcripts As Your Translation Partner?
As I’ve pointed out in the last few hundred words, ChatGPT can’t translate accurately, so unless you’re doing it for personal projects, it’s recommended to use reliable translators, which is…We’ve been in the business since 2010, and here’s what we can guarantee:
Straightforward Process: Ditto Transcripts makes ordering translations easy. Your dedicated project manager oversees the whole process, confirming details, assigning translators, managing all steps, and keeping you updated with clear communication. We coordinate everything from large enterprise orders to small personal requests, making translation easy.
Quick Turnaround Times: Ditto Transcripts works fast, delivering accurate, high-quality transcriptions and timely translations. We prioritize prompt turnarounds for all clients, so you can trust us to return your files quickly without compromising quality.
Skilled Human Translators Only: We never use machine translation as our professional translators provide nuanced translations tailored to your content’s unique style, tone, and purpose. Our native linguists capture subtleties within each language, and we guarantee 99% accuracy across all target languages with meticulous quality checks.
Different Languages That Ditto Transcripts Can Help You With
Here are the languages that we can help you translate.
- German
- Old High German
- Arabic
- French
- Spanish
- Italian
- And more
Let’s Get Your Content Translation Started
Let’s discuss how our cost-effective, high-quality content translation strategy can help expand your global reach. Starting at just $0.50 per page with our standard turnaround, you’ll get 99% accuracy guaranteed from native linguists. And if you need to translate audio, we’ve also got you covered—with transparent, competitive legal transcription prices that make professional accuracy affordable for every project. If you need more reasons to choose Ditto, check our testimonials
Ditto Transcripts is a Denver, Colorado-based FINRA, HIPAA, and CJIS-compliant transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote.