Expanding into new markets is exciting—but anyone who’s worked in the global supply chain knows that language is one of the biggest considerations when it comes to operations.
And beyond planned expansions in operations, the unpredictability of the recent trends in global trade also means that supply chain teams also have to be ready to shift their priorities between trading partners.
That’s why many smaller businesses without their own translation and localization teams are turning to AI translation to fill the gaps.
Why turn to AI translation?
AI translation goes beyond word-for-word substitution. It uses artificial intelligence—including neural networks and large language models (LLMs)—to understand context, tone, and terminology. This results in faster, more accurate translations across more than 270 languages.
MachineTranslation.com is the world’s most accurate AI translator, developed by Tomedes, a leading language translation company.
Built for small and medium businesses, the platform aggregates results from top LLMs and AI sources, provides quality scores, and includes smart tools like the AI Translation Agent to personalize translations based on tone, target audience, and brand terminology.
Whether you’re adapting product pages for global markets, translating ad campaigns, or localizing customer communications, MachineTranslation.com gives you the control to stay on-brand without sacrificing speed or budget.
But while AI translation has come a long way, it’s not flawless. Here’s a quick look at where it excels—and where it still has room to grow:
| Pros of AI Translation | Cons of AI translation |
| ● User-Personalized Translations – The smart AI translation agent lets users fine-tune translations by adjusting tone, terminology, and style and remembers their preferences. ● Low threshold for use – These days, anyone can use AI translation with just a device, an internet connection, and some time to learn. ● Compare and contrast top LLMs for the best translation – Users can view translations pulled from top LLMs like ChatGPT, DeepL, Grok, Gemini, and more in one place, which helps them find the best translation for their needs. ● Always Available – AI-powered translation tools aren’t subject to delays, so it’s ready when you need it. | ● Not a complete replacement for human review – Sensitive content or industries with more technical terms and content may still need human oversight. ● Some features require sign-up – Advanced tools like translation memory and personalized refinements are only available to registered users. ● Learning Curve for Advanced Tools – While user-friendly overall, features like glossary creation, quality scores, or AI-guided revisions may take a bit of time to master. ● Internet Connection Required – Users need a stable internet connection to access translation and editing features. |
In particular, mistakes in terminology, interpretation of key terms, and more are deal breakers in global supply where multiple conversations with suppliers, partner companies, logistics, and more are happening all at once.
Human oversight in localization is still key – especially when dealing with humans
With the need for nuance and understanding of technical terms and processes in industries like global supply, even the latest AI language models will get you at most 85% accuracy in translation.
Human review is still needed to get your translation quality to 100% for critical documents, materials, and platforms. This is why MachineTranslation.com also offers Human Certification as an available option during the translation process, which saves global teams the need to source their own translators per country.
A hybrid approach that pairs AI-powered translations with human review is still the fastest and most cost-effective choice for business over purely AI or purely human translations.
In fact, this approach is uniquely suited to targeting a few globalization pain points experienced by supply teams worldwide.
Which of these does your business experience?
1. Compliance Risks from Misinterpreted Terms
Regulatory documents like shipping manifests, safety sheets, and customs declarations often contain precise terminology. Even small errors can cause shipment delays or legal trouble.
● How AI Helps: AI can rapidly translate large volumes of documentation and detect industry-specific terms based on patterns from millions of previous translations.
● Where Humans Come In: Legal or compliance-sensitive content often needs a final review. Human linguists can validate that critical terms align with local regulations and catch subtle issues AI might miss.
2. Inconsistent Communication Across Teams
Supply chain teams in different regions often work with their own translation workflows, leading to inconsistencies in terminology or tone.
● How AI Helps: AI can maintain a consistent translation baseline by learning preferred vocabulary and phrasing across projects—especially when glossary tools or memory features are used.
● Where Humans Come In: Editors can review tone or contextual alignment and ensure key messaging is consistent with company standards, especially in customer-facing or internal training content.
3. Delays in Product Launches Due to Manual Localization
Expanding to new markets means translating packaging and labels, product specs, and marketing assets. Doing this manually for each region slows everything down, and even can cause crippling delays in shipping
● How AI Helps: AI quickly processes large batches of content, enabling faster localization at scale.
● Where Humans Come In: Editors or native-speaking reviewers can refine localized content to better match cultural expectations and eliminate awkward
phrasing—especially for consumer products.
4. Customer Service Misunderstandings
Poorly translated FAQs, return policies, or support messages can frustrate customers and increase the burden on service teams.
● How AI Helps: AI delivers immediate translations that cover a wide range of languages and common support queries, helping scale multilingual help centers.
● Where Humans Come In: Human reviewers can polish sensitive responses (e.g., refunds, troubleshooting) to ensure clarity, professionalism, and the right tone for local audiences.
5. Ambiguity in Supply Chain Documentation
Logistics documents—like Bills of Lading, contracts, or inspection reports—must be crystal clear. Ambiguity can lead to miscommunication, disputes, or rejected deliveries.
● How AI Helps: AI offers a first draft that speeds up document translation and highlights discrepancies between language pairs.
● Where Humans Come In: A human translator can validate that technical or contractual language maintains its legal or operational meaning across borders.
6. Generic Marketing That Misses the Mark
Product marketing that isn’t localized properly can fall flat—or worse, come off as insensitive or confusing.
● How AI Helps: AI can adjust translations based on audience tone preferences and streamline campaigns into multiple languages.
● Where Humans Come In: Native-speaking editors ensure the final copy resonates with the local culture, values, and buying habits—especially important for brand voice or tagline translation.
Final Thoughts
AI translation offers incredible speed and scalability—but human expertise is still essential for accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and brand alignment. Together, they provide a balanced solution for today’s multilingual supply chain challenges.
For businesses operating across borders, it’s not about choosing between AI or human translation—it’s about knowing when to use both.