Medical Interpreting Is A Job For Humans... Not A.I & Robots

 

Medical interpreting is always going to be a job for humans. So if you are a bilingual adult, and especially if you are already employed as a language interpreter, you might have questions. "Can't a robot do medical interpreting?" In this day and age, it seems like Artificial Intelligence (A.I) is taking over jobs and replacing the humans that actually need them to survive. And yet, despite its growing prominence, A.I still cannot replace human language interpreters. Here's why...

 

Medical interpreting needs humans, not A.I because:

1. Robots and A.I can make mistakes

Medical terms are highly specific and technical. Even the smallest translation error can cause great confusion and cause long-lasting symptoms for the patient. Human language is constantly evolving. So for humans to use words like "positive" and "negative" in every day situations, has different meanings than in medical settings. And A.I won't always know the difference between the usage of those words. Moreover, machines don't always recognize when they make mistakes. In fact, they will continue translating even if incorrect.

• A trained, bilingual medical interpreter has the awareness that A.I cannot. A human can cause, ask a clarifying question or for something to be repeated. Artificial Intelligence doesn't know when something sounds off.

 

2. Medical interpreting needs human insight

Earlier we stated that A.I doesn't always know when there are mistakes.That's because it doesn't have human cognition. It cannot understand the deeper meaning or subtext of a conversation. In fact, it can only do what it is programmed to do. And medical language interpreting is so much more than word-for-word translation. Because a good medical interpreter conveys the meaning, tone and context behind what a person is saying. Essentially, A.I is a non-thinking computer. It needs human brain power to give it rules and codes so that it knows what to do.

• Without trained language professionals, A.I won't understand exceptions to rules. It might not pick up on urgency or concern. And that vital information might not be communicated to patients, without a human language interpreter present.

 

3. A.I is not intuitive

In a doctor's office, providers speak quickly, and they change topics just as fast. Patients interrupt and ask questions and Artificial Intelligence (A.I) often lags in these moments. It can lag, lose connection, freeze, and even lose track of who is speaking. That's why it's so important to always have a trained medical interpreter present. Even if they are only there remotely.

Healthcare language interpreters can think on their feet and solve problems quickly. They are adaptable and are trained to manage complex conversation in real time. That's why language interpreters use A.I as a tool to help them be more efficient. But the technology is no where close to truly taking over. Especially when the stakes are so high, that patients lives are on the line, do you want to run the risk of losing important information? That's why our remote interpreter training is essential to your career. Because we give you all of the tools to succeed.

 

 

 

Our online translator classes are taught by expert instructors ✅ who have real-world experience in their interpreting specialty. They have worked hard to make fully remote online courses that are unique and engaging ✅ using a hands-on approach that is unparalleled by the competition. If you or someone you know is interested in our online Medical Interpreter Training Programs with live instruction✅, our fully remote yet real time classes ✅ are offered in Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Korean, Somali, Urdu, Ukrainian languages online and onsite.