AI translation has transformed the way we communicate, breaking down language barriers in an unprecedented way.
Among them, Cologne-based DeepL has been raising industry standards even compared totechgiants like Google Translate and Microsoft Translator.
Weve always been rivalling big companies.
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This made him realise the importance of language and the difficulty in having to communicate in more than one.
We kind of knew that machine translation was going to go in this direction.
And we knew this was going to be immensely helpful.
Seeing this opportunity, we thought Hey, lets build something great, Kutylowski tells TNW.
Compared to its predecessors, its faster, more accurate, less resource-intensive, and easier to scale.
DeepL uses the technology to offer free and premium translation services, with special focus on B2B products.
Translation is really important for businesses, Kutylowski explains.
This is where we see most often the strongest demand from our customer base, Kutylowski says.
To date, DeepL covers 31 languages spanning across Europe and Asia.
In 2023, it introduced its AI writing companion and secured unicorn status.
The worlds best machine translation
DeepL makes the confident claim of offering the worlds bestAItranslation.
When I ran a few test experiments of my own, DeepL did indeed come out on top.
Thats because the art of literary translation is complex and requires more than just linguistic proficiency.
Nevertheless, DeepLs result was by far superior to Googles.
I translated from English into Greek (my native language).
This heavily depends on the use case.
For example, a technical document calls for higher accuracy, while a marketing text for higher fluency.
Despite this challenge, he believes that AI is capable of learning even the most complex languages.
Whats DeepLs edge?
Kutylowski doesnt seem concerned about the competition.
Weve always been rivalling big companies, he notes, adding that Google Translate remains DeepLs biggest competitor.
Focus is always an important thing, he says.
Translate isnt the core business of Google its one of the 100 side gigs.
Were focused on one particular area.
There are a lot of details which the mathematical team is taking care of.
Machine translation is a race now.
Machine translation is kind of a race right now, he says.
So whats a good strategy for competing in this race?
Investing appropriately is another.
It also comes to securing the required capital and the right team.
But at the same time, the exponentially increasing interest and advancement in AI also brings new technological opportunities.
This includes personalised translations that fit a companys style and a more interactive translation experience.
The future of language learning
Machine translation has had a tremendous impact on overcoming communication barriers.
Andwhat do we want to learn?, Kutylowski says.
But this doesnt mean that the value in learning languages will decrease.
To illustrate, he uses maths as an example.
The same goes for languages, Kutylowski says.
The benefits of foreign language learning and bilingualism are indeed far-reaching both for the individual and the society.
Research showsthat learning a second language actually changes the brain.
Or at least, I hope so.
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW.
With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
