machine translation

AI-led Machine Translation

Scale your global communications quickly and cost-effectively without sacrificing your brand voice. We combine the speed of machine translation with the nuance of human expertise to help you reach more markets in less time.
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Smarter AI-led machine translation with Comtec

At Comtec, we don't believe in "one size fits all" automation. While AI-led machine translation offers incredible speed, it works best when applied strategically.

We embed AI within governed localisation workflows, supported by our network of over 4,000 expert linguists and rigorous quality checks. This ensures your content remains accurate, culturally relevant, and secure, no matter how much you need to translate.
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Our managed AI translation services

We offer three distinct approaches to ensure you have the right level of human involvement for your specific content.

  • Machine translation + automated post-editing (MTAP)
    Designed for high-volume or fast-moving content, MTAP uses AI engines customised with your specific terminology and style rules. It’s an ideal solution for internal communications, FAQs, and product updates where speed is the priority.

  • Machine translation + human post-editing (MTPE)
    This is our most popular hybrid approach. An AI engine produces the initial draft, which is then refined by a specialist linguist. It’s the perfect balance of efficiency and accuracy for technical manuals, training materials, and e-learning content.

  • Expert human translation and transcreation
    For brand-critical, creative, or high-stakes content, the human touch is irreplaceable. Our specialist linguists handle everything from marketing campaigns to legal documents, ensuring every nuance and cultural reference hits the mark.

Pronto: Your self-service AI-led machine translation tool

Pronto is our secure, easy-to-use platform that gives your team direct access to our customised AI-led machine translation technology. It’s perfect for organisations that want the speed of a self-service tool but need to stay "on-brand."


With Pronto, you can upload documents and get instant results that follow your specific terminology and quality rules. It’s the fastest way to manage smaller tasks or internal documents while keeping everything within a secure, governed framework.


How to choose the right AI-led machine translation approach

There’s no single “right” way to use AI translation. The most effective strategies recognise that different content types require different levels of effort and oversight.

Many organisations find it helpful to think in terms of:

  • Lower-risk content
    Internal updates, FAQs or short-lived content, often supported by AI-led workflows with optional review, are well-suited to AI translation.
  • Medium-risk content
    Training, technical or customer-facing materials are commonly suited to MTPE or MTAP with defined quality thresholds.
  • High-risk or brand-critical content
    Campaigns, legal or creative copy, are typically handled through fully human translation or transcreation.

Our Comtec Advisory service can help you map your content types to the most appropriate localisation workflows, ensuring quality, consistency, and cost-effectiveness across your organisation.

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Seamless automation and systems integration

To make your localisation truly effortless, we can plug our machine translation workflows directly into your existing tech stack. Through our Comtec Connect integrations, we connect with your CMS, eCommerce platform, or any other software, such as WordPress, Shopify, or Salesforce.

This removes the need for manual copy-pasting or file handling. When you update your content, the translation process triggers automatically, keeping your global sites in sync with minimal admin.
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Why trust Comtec with your translations?

We combine decades of linguistic experience with the latest technology to give you total peace of mind.

  • Strategic guidance: We don’t just deliver words; we help you build a sustainable localisation strategy.
  • Expert linguist network: You get access to over 4,000 professional translators who understand your industry and your audience.
  • Custom-built engines: Our AI is trained on your specific glossaries and style guides to ensure greater consistency.
  • Certified security: We are ISO 27001-certified and GDPR-compliant, so your data is always protected.
  • B Corp certified: As a B Corp, we are committed to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

FAQs

What is AI-led machine translation?

AI-led machine translation uses neural networks trained on large language datasets to generate draft translations at speed. It’s fast, scalable, and increasingly accurate, but the output quality depends entirely on how the workflow is configured.

At Comtec, AI is always applied within a structured workflow, configured to your terminology and brand voice, and supported by professional linguists where the content requires it.

Is AI-led machine translation the same as using free online tools?

Not at all. Free tools give you raw, generic output with no customisation, no quality control, and no brand alignment. Our AI workflows are configured around your terminology, tone of voice, and quality standards, and can include automated or human review depending on the risk level of the content.

The difference is the difference between a first draft nobody checked and a finished product you can actually publish.

When is AI-led machine translation the right choice?

It works best for high-volume, lower-risk content like internal updates, FAQs, product descriptions, and support documentation. For creative, brand-critical, or legally sensitive content, we’ll usually recommend stronger human involvement and explain why. Part of our role is helping you draw that line clearly so AI is applied where it adds value, not where it introduces risk.

How do you ensure quality?

Through customised engines configured to your terminology, structured quality thresholds, and professional post-editing where required. Every project is assessed for suitability before an AI workflow is applied. We don’t use AI on content that isn’t suited to, and we’re transparent about where we think a different approach would serve you better.

Do you always involve human linguists?

It depends on the content. Where risk, visibility, or brand sensitivity is higher, yes. For lower-risk, high-volume content, AI can handle the heavy lifting with lighter-touch human review. We’ll always advise you honestly about what level of human involvement your content needs.

Is AI-led machine translation secure?

Yes. We operate within ISO 27001-certified processes and are fully GDPR compliant. AI workflows run within secure, governed environments, not through public-facing consumer tools.

Ready to get started?
Tell us what you're working on, and we'll recommend the right approach, whether that's AI, human, or a blend of both.
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The right people looking after your brand
Over 4,000 specialist linguists across 250+ languages, backed by 40 years of experience and the UK's first B Corp certification in translation. We care about this work, and our clients tell us it shows.