As generative AI models achieve wider adoption and popularity across industries, Pronto Translations, a multilingual communication services provider with 25 years of experience, has released new guidance outlining where AI systems — including the latest versions of ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepL, and ERNIE — continue to fall short of replacing expert human translators.
Over the past two years, Pronto Translations has integrated AI tools into its workflows for preliminary drafts, terminology support, and efficiency gains. However, based on analysis of thousands of real-world client projects across legal, marketing, technical, and corporate communications, the firm has found that AI-generated translations still require rigorous human oversight. Despite continued advances in generative AI in 2025, including new releases from OpenAI, Google, and other developers, Pronto’s analysis shows that professional human translators remain indispensable for accuracy, nuance, and contextual judgment in high-stakes communication.
According to Pronto Translations’ latest report, “Why AI Alone Still Fails in High-Stakes Translation: 21 Critical Risks Every Organization Should Understand in 2025,” the following issues remain the most significant barriers to full automation:
Top 10 Limitations of AI Translation Tools in 2025
1. Incorrect Technical Context Recognition
AI systems continue to misinterpret highly specialized terminology, especially in engineering, medical, legal, and scientific documentation. These inaccuracies can alter the technical meaning of content, leading to operational, safety, or compliance risks.
2. Residual Hallucinations and Fabricated Information
Although hallucinations have decreased in newer models, AI still invents terms, descriptions, or definitions when source material is unfamiliar. Pronto’s internal audits show they still fabricate information when terminology is rare, proprietary, regional, or industry-specific.
In 2025 tests, AI:
- added non-existent product features
- invented corporate departments
- generated technical definitions that did not appear anywhere in the original documents
This is especially dangerous in compliance-heavy sectors like pharmaceuticals, energy, and finance.
3. Inconsistent Treatment of Names, Titles, and Proprietary Terms
AI frequently mishandles proper names, brand terminology, and executive titles, either incorrectly transliterating them or replacing them with inaccurate equivalents. Such errors can damage brand identity and professional reputation.
4. Limited Ability to Identify Errors in Source Texts
Human translators routinely detect factual mistakes, typographical errors, and inconsistencies in the original documents. AI, however, generally reproduces errors without flagging them, undermining the reliability of the final translation.
5. Unreliable Handling of Tone, Register, and Formality
Languages with strict formality structures — such as Japanese, Korean, French, and German — require careful judgment. AI often applies tone inconsistently or selects a register that is culturally inappropriate, risking miscommunication in diplomatic, corporate, or legal contexts.
6. Difficulty Preserving Nuance and Cultural Subtext
Idioms, metaphors, cultural expressions, and subtle emotional cues remain challenging for AI. Literal interpretations frequently distort meaning, leading to translations that lack cultural fidelity or shift the intended message.
7. Gaps in Long-Form Document Fidelity
In legal contracts, regulatory submissions, and multi-section reports, AI can omit or compress information, misalign structured elements, or lose continuity across lengthy documents. This compromises completeness and accuracy.
8. Inconsistent Terminology Across Complex Documents
AI often fails to maintain uniform terminology within and across documents, a requirement that is essential in legal, technical, and compliance-driven fields. Human linguists ensure consistency through reference materials, glossaries, and cross-document review.
9. Overuse of Generic Phrasing and Stylistic Flattening
AI relies on statistical averages, resulting in overly generic or repetitive phrasing. This is particularly problematic in marketing, branding, and executive communication, where voice, originality, and precision are essential.
10. Challenges in Interpreting Ambiguous or Industry-Specific Language
Words with multiple meanings — especially in finance, law, technology, and science — require contextual evaluation that AI cannot reliably perform. Human translators assess intent through research, expertise, and clarification, ensuring the correct interpretation.
Pronto Translations Emphasizes a Hybrid Approach
“AI has become a powerful tool in our workflow, but it cannot replace professional linguists,” said Joshua B. Cohen, head of client services at Pronto Translations. “Organizations that rely solely on AI expose themselves to accuracy, cultural nuance, and reputational risks. The most effective model in 2025 is a hybrid one — AI for speed and humans for precision.”
The company’s 2025 assessment concludes that while AI is valuable for initial drafts and terminology support, expert translators remain essential for final review, quality assurance, and culturally informed decision-making.
About Pronto Translations
In business for 25 years, Pronto Translations is a tightly run international organization, with offices in New York, Nîmes (France), Nanjing (China), Seoul, and Osaka, providing high-quality interpretation, translation and localization services.
Pronto’s team includes more than 1,000 translators covering 122 languages, each selected for their specific industry expertise. The translators, many of whom hold degrees from leading universities or certifications from professional associations, work through a secure portal to ensure quality and confidentiality. The operation’s 24/7 availability allows for quick turnaround on urgent projects, even during weekends and holidays.
With more than two decades of experience in transforming corporate messaging into the world’s most spoken and lesser spoken languages, Pronto Translations is the go-to service and solution for the marketing and public relations needs of any firm wishing to communicate with the world’s audiences in their own languages.
To learn more, visit prontotranslations.com.
Media Contact
Joshua B. Cohen
clientservices@prontotranslations.com
+1 646-984-4073
