María Illescas, on Leveraging Automatic Quality Estimation (AQE)

María Illescas, our Head of Machine Translation, recently took to the stage in the prestigious Tekom conference to talk about one of the burning issues in the translation industry: Automatic Quality Estimation (AQE). Following her interesting presentation, we managed to talk to her to go into the subject in more depth and to find out more about Seprotec’s AQE solution, which goes beyond just evaluating the results of machine translations.

Here’s what she told us.

María, to start with, can you tell us what AQE is and why it’s turning the translation industry on its head?

María Illescas:
Yes, sure! AQE, or Automatic Quality Estimation, is an artificial intelligence (AI) solution that evaluates the reliability of a translation, whether machine or human, in accordance with the stylistic and other specific requirements of each client. This analysis highlights the potential problems of a translation and helps us decide whether it requires human revision or at least proofreading of the critical parts by a linguist. At Seprotec we use advanced artificial intelligence models that detect patterns, fluency, grammar and vocabulary so as to offer an overall evaluation of the quality of a translated text in terms of accuracy, appropriateness, style, and the terminological requirements of the client.

It works like a critical eye, supervising the overall translation of the document and flagging up any particular part that needs attention.

How does AQE integrate with the processes that businesses are already using to manage translations?

María Illescas:
It’s a very flexible tool, easy to integrate, and offers several uses that can add value at various points along the translation work flow.

Our AQE model adjusts to the specific requirements of each client in terms of style, industry, or market, and also as regards the solution’s objective and application.

For example, you can use it to evaluate a machine translation, a human translation, or even original texts. In a matter of seconds you can obtain a report through our platform highlighting critical areas for improvement and you can also download the document with comments inserted directly in the sentences, phrases, words, or sections requiring attention and/or possible human supervision.

Based on your experience, what are the clearest benefits that Automatic Quality Estimation brings to businesses?

María Illescas:
Speed, security and cost savings are those I see as having most value:

Speed, in that you get immediate results on which to base quick decisions, without depending on others.

Security, in that the tool is in a protected environment to translate and evaluate contents; in other words you provide your employees with a safe environment, avoiding risks in the management of your company’s and its clients’ sensitive information.

And, of course, one of the biggest benefits is efficiency. Seprotec’s AQE solution identifies the parts of a translation that really need to be supervised by an expert linguist, considerably reducing the time and the costs involved.

Lastly, at Seprotec we’ve placed a lot of emphasis on personalizing the tool: the AQE can be programmed to focus specifically on certain areas, such as punctuation, acronyms, terminology, or style, ensuring that translations precisely fulfill their purpose​.

In a world in which security is key, how does Seprotec make sure that AQE is a safe solution?

María Illescas:
As I was saying, security is fundamental, and it’s a priority for us. We operate under the ISO 27001 international standard for managing information security, which guarantees that all information is protected. Our AQE platform is hosted at AWS Frankfurt, ensuring that sensitive information is always protected. This approach ensures that sensitive information is always protected. 

And here’s a question I’m sure you get asked a lot: Might AQE replace human linguists at some time in the future?

María Illescas:
That’s not the objective. Automatic Quality Estimation is just another tool, which adds value and is used as a complementary solution, especially in scenarios where there is to be no human intervention adding value. It also serves as a support in reducing the risk of human error and as an add-on to improve the quality control processes. It’s not about replacing the value of the human in the loop, but rather making it more efficient and effective. The important thing is not whether technology will replace linguists but how linguists use this technology, how they collaborate to improve it to provide a more efficient service that’s more in keeping with the needs of our clients, in processes that may or may not include the intervention of linguistic experts.

Lastly, how do you see the future of translation now that AQE is in the equation?

María Illescas:
The future’s exciting. I think we’re moving toward a hybrid model in which machines will take care of the repetitive tasks and humans will contribute their experience in the most critical areas. In Seprotec, we take an agnostic approach to linguistic technology, evaluating the tools available in the market, incorporating them into our work flows and offering clients the tools that meet our requirements in terms of quality levels and confidentiality. With AQE, we’re seeing how technology allows us to optimize time and costs while offering new services and applying automated work flows with more control. Our objective is to continue to combine the best of both worlds: the efficiency of artificial intelligence and the irreplaceable value of human knowledge. If you like languages and technology – and we’re passionate about them – it’s a fascinating time to be in our industry!​