Once the pandemic came to a close, 95 percent of individuals under the age of 45 wanted to seize opportunities to travel internationally. While exploring the world is often enriching, it also comes with challenges, particularly when it comes to communication. Overall, around 241 million Americans speak only English, so communicating while in another country could be difficult.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) is opening doors. AI translation devices are giving world travelers access to convenient tools designed to make communication easier, reducing or eliminating communication barriers that would otherwise be a hindrance. Here’s a closer look at how AI translation devices are making a difference.
How AI Translation Devices Are Helping World Travelers
Camera-Based Text Translation
One type of AI translation device is able to analyze images captured with a smartphone or tablet camera to identify text. Then, the AI can convert that text into another language, allowing the user to read what’s written in the language they prefer. The primary benefit here is that it makes understanding road signs, product descriptions, landmark signage, menu items, and similar written information simpler. The AI can typically translate the text in mere moments, allowing the user to know whether they’re going in the right direction, ordering the right food, and more with incredible ease.
While the primary attraction to this type of AI text translation is convenience, it also has other impacts. For example, it can make traveling less daunting, essentially encouraging world travel among parts of the population that may otherwise shy away. This can help promote a global sense of community, as well as increase exposure to more cultures.
Additionally, AI text translation can improve safety. It can make identifying signage that points a person toward medical facilities or law enforcement offices easier. Further, it can prevent a person from accidentally heading to an area that they’d prefer to avoid due to known risks. By translating food packaging, it could even allow a person to make sure they don’t accidentally consume an allergen, keeping them safe from a known health issue.
Real-Time Interpretation
Another version of AI that can assist world travelers includes solutions that are able to interpret in real time. These AI technologies listen to audio – such as words spoken by a party participating in a conversation – and are able to play what was said to the other participant in their preferred language. Often, the interpretation occurs rapidly, which processing times measured in seconds. As a result, the AI interpretation device can facilitate back-and-forth conversation in near real-time, as the AI can serve as an interpreter in the middle.
As with text translation, real-time AI-backed interpretation can make world travel less intimidating. It creates opportunities to engage with others in situations where language barriers would otherwise hinder conversation. That could assist with relationship-building, information-gathering, and other common activities where engaging with a local is necessary.
Plus, these AI devices or services can help travelers ensure that information is being shared correctly. That may facilitate simple tasks like checking into hotels or providing accurate directions when using taxis. It can also improve safety, as it’s easier to request help from passersby during an emergency if there aren’t any language barriers to navigate.
For companies in the travel industry, it can make speaking with a diverse traveling party easier. For example, many larger tour groups feature participants from many locations, and they each may speak a different primary language. With AI interpretation devices, engaging with them all is simpler, as the AI can interpret whenever it’s necessary.
Do You Need a Skilled Translator or Interpreter?
While AI translation devices are helping world travelers, they aren’t a perfect solution, especially when it comes to languages that aren’t broadly used online. Effective communication is often crucial for international travel. By having access to an experienced translator or interpreter, it’s far easier to communicate accurately.
Acutrans offers high-quality certified document translations in 24 hours, documentation or online resources to be accurately translated into a variety of languages. At Acutrans, we also have post-editing machine translation to correct inaccurate AI-generated translations, as well as localization services available to target materials to a specific audience. The Acutrans team of experienced translators covers more than 200 languages. Video remote, over-the-phone, and on-site interpretation services are available, making the solution convenient and accessible. Contact us for a free quote today.