Artificial Intelligence VS Human Interpreters for Communication in Healthcare
In the modern century, technology plays a major role in creating new innovations and one of the life-changing is artificial intelligence (AI). It is expanding worldwide to provide human-like interactions, such as making decisions, problem solving and so on. AI is taking over many places all over the world, especially in the healthcare field, AI is performing a vital role to improve patient care, research and efficiency. In situations where medical staff and patients speak different languages, AI can help to translate for better communication. AI plays a significant role in medical translation by being faster and user-friendly, but it lacks cultural understanding, emotional sensitivity and medical idiomatic language that human translators have. Human role in translation is irreplaceable, especially in sensitive healthcare settings.
In healthcare, delivering accurate information and proper care to patients, always requires professionals who can communicate clearly and effectively. AI is playing a vital role in this area. When medical staff and patients speak in different languages, Al can help by providing translations for accurate communication, However, AI is still developing and often makes errors that are unacceptable in critical healthcare settings. While machine translation works well for simple and straightforward texts, but for complex texts that which include cultural nuance, human translation is essential (Andrews). Human oversight is necessary to ensure accuracy of AI-driven translations (Nakamura & Rodriguez). Unlike humans, AI has difficulty understanding cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions contained in the source language (Moneus). AI is programmed by software and it cannot easily detect the cultural differences embedded in language. “ Unlike humans, AI cannot reason abstractly, cannot create constraints or counterfactuals, does not understand causality, and cannot ask why,” (Monteith). This highlights an outstanding point: AI lacks true understanding. It cannot apply independent thinking or real-life logic unless it has been explicitly programmed by developers. In contrast, human translators naturally rely on their experience, cultural background and emotional intelligence to produce accurate and sensitive translations, something AI cannot imitate. “AI will never replace human translators because machines are unable to capture the nuance that comes from each language’s different grammatical rules, semantics, syntax and cultural influence”(Andrews). This shows language is more than just words, it’s influenced by culture, context and structure that vary from one language to another. AI systems often draw direct word for word translation, which may ignore the subtle differences in how meaning is conveyed. For example, some languages solely depend on structures that must be followed. Human translators can easily recognize these differences and adapt their translations to make sense culturally and emotionally. On the contrary, AI lacks the ability to interpret tone, emotion or actual meaning. A sentence that sounds polite and respectful in one language may come off as rude or confusing if the machine translates directly. These subtle but important nuances are what human translators can understand and convey, something that machines are not advanced and still struggle to do.
Human translators are essential in healthcare because they bring empathy and cultural understanding that AI cannot match. In medical environments, clear and precise communication can mean the difference between life and death. Human translators are well trained not in language but also in medical terminology, which allows them to accurately convey diagnoses, treatment plans and medication instructions. They understand the importance of context and adjust their language based on the patient’s age, education level and emotional state. AI, on the other hand, may misinterpret complex medical terms or idiomatic expressions to serious misunderstanding. Certain words can be spelled the same way but with different meaning, that can be only understandable towards human translators as they can do critical thinking unless AI (Andrews). Human translators are important in the medical field for proofread and post-edit translations even AI is much cheaper than them (Andrews). Sensitive and critical issues are often handled by human translators as they are well-observers of patients (Nakamura & Rodriguez). “A skilled human translator will deeply understand the languages and cultures they are translating between, making them able to accurately convey the intended meaning and tone of the original text,”(Moneus). Complex yet original translations only possible by human translators to deliver. Human intelligence can show complex emotions that cannot be possible by AI to convey (Monteith). Human translators use their intellectual skills and mainly emotional setting for having better and accurate communication with patients and staff which is a crucial part of fair treatment. Al may be helpful in translating simple phrases or routine instructions, it cannot replace the human-centered communication needed in healthcare. Human translators play a critical role in ensuring that patients fully understand their health conditions and treatment options, which leads to better health outcomes and improved patient satisfaction.
AI can help with translation tasks, but it can never fully replace human beings in the field of medical translation, especially when it comes to communication in healthcare. A small error in translation could lead to misdiagnosis, incorrect medication or even life-threatening situations. While AI tools like google translate or language bots can provide quick translations, they often lack the complex and deep understanding of medical vocabulary, cultural context and emotional tone that human translators possess. Human translators are trained professionals who not only speak multiple languages fluently but also understand complex medical terminology and patient care procedures. They are able to catch subtle meanings, translate idiomatic expressions, and adjust their language based on the patient’s cultural background. AI, on the other hand, operates on algorithms and databases. It cannot think critically, show empathy, or understand context the way a human can. “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports employment of interpreters and translators is expected to grow by 20 percent from now until 2029,” (Andrews). This displays the importance of human translators knowing no bounds. “While AI offers speed, scalability, and cost-efficiency, human translators bring cultural understanding, subject matter expertise, and contextual awareness to the table,” (Nakamura & Rodriguez). Healthcare conversations often involve emotions like fear, confusion, hope, and grief. Human translators can offer emotional support and create a safe environment for patients to express their concerns. AI lacks emotional intelligence and cannot respond with compassion or understanding.
A hybrid model combining both AI and human translators presents a promising solution for improving communication in healthcare. In this approach, AI handles simple tasks like translating medical forms or patient instructions quickly, helping save time and make information available in different languages. AI is fast and can handle a lot of data, but it struggles with understanding complex medical conversations or sensitive issues. Human translators, on the other hand, are needed for more complicated or emotional conversations, where understanding the patient’s feelings and context is important. They can explain medical terms clearly, ask follow-up questions if something is unclear, and provide emotional support, which AI cannot do. “The purpose of AI tools is to provide information to assist and augment human decision-making. Human intelligence is unique, with diverse cognitive capabilities, and is very different from AI, ” (Monteith). AI is only for using as an alternative tool if there’s a vacancy of human translator for a moment. AI alone cannot replace the nuanced understanding and cultural sensitivity that human translators provide, especially in high-stakes medical situations. When patients need to discuss sensitive health issues, express concerns, or ask questions, human translators can step in to provide the emotional intelligence and empathy necessary for a supportive interaction. “Human translators can serve as a safety net, ensuring that AI-generated translations meet the required quality standards. This dual-layered approach enhances accuracy and reduces the likelihood of errors,”(Nakamura & Rodriguez). The hybrid model ensures that both speed and empathy are present, but human translators are essential for providing the personal touch and understanding that machines simply cannot replace, making healthcare communication more accurate and compassionate for patients.
Works cited
Andrews, Toni. “Will AI Replace Human Translators?” Interpreters & Translators, Inc., 31 Oct. 2024, ititranslates.com/will-ai-replace-human-translators/.
Moneus, Ahmed Mohammed, and Yousef Sahari. “Artificial Intelligence and Human Translation: A Contrastive Study Based on Legal Texts.” Heliyon, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 14 Mar. 2024, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10958410/.
Monteith, Scott, et al. “Differences between human and artificial/augmented intelligence in medicine.” Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, vol. 2, no. 2, Aug. 2024, p. 100084, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100084.
Nakamura, Kenji, and Cassia Rodriguez. “The Future of Medical Translation: AI vs. Human Translators – Globibo Blog.” Globibo Articles & Research, globibo.blog/the-future-of-medical-translation-ai-vs-human-translators
