Blog – News and language tips

The translation world has changed drastically in recent years. Whereas companies used to automatically turn to a translation agency in the past, it seems a logical choice in 2026 to use an LLM or AI translation technology. But does this mean that human translators have become redundant? We are happy to set everything out clearly for you.

Artificial intelligence has fundamentally changed the economics of translation. For organisations operating across borders the speed and efficiency of AI are genuinely transformative. Whether they’re managing multilateral contracts, rolling out global product launches, or communicating with regulators in multiple jurisdictions, everything moves so much faster.

Artificial intelligence has changed what's possible in language services. Many of the tasks that once required days of careful human work, such as translation, quality review, and formatting, can be done much faster. The question is whether we want to hand AI full control over all these tasks. At ELAN Languages, the answer is clear: no. We firmly believe in the "human-in-control" principle.

Our health might just be our most precious gift. Which is why accurate medical translations are of the utmost importance, as they can have a direct impact on someone’s well-being. Over the past few months, we have rolled out our ELAN AI Bridge and are fully embracing the newest technological feats. However, we remain convinced that AI works best when there is a human in the loop, and nowhere is this more important than in the medical field. We spoke with two of our internal medical proofreaders, Anja Thys (English proofreader) and Kim Hoebrechts (Dutch proofreader) about how they approach their medical translations.

In 2019, Nissan Motor Company paid a $15 million fine to settle charges with U.S. regulators. While the core issue revolved around underreporting of executive compensation and fraudulent practices, part of the regulatory scrutiny focused on discrepancies in the translations of financial documents.

This month, we’ve been highlighting legal translations in all their facets: the risks, the expertise required, how the rules differ from country to country, the major pitfalls, how technology can help experienced translators, etc. Sure, it’s been interesting to read, but haven’t we blown it out of proportion? Are the actual consequences really that bad? The answers are simple: no and yes, respectively.

Translating legal texts is always risky business: loss of meaning, ambiguity, and misinterpretation lurk around the corner constantly. Risk awareness and risk management are of the utmost importance. Therefore, a good legal translation partner is vital for businesses and organisations that want to avoid a myriad of problems, such as financial losses, legal issues, ambiguous contractual clauses, etc.