Using AI interpreters: AI simultaneous translation with the technology to match
Are you thinking about using an AI interpreter at your event?
We will tell you honestly when AI simultaneous translation makes sense and when it does not. If AI simultaneous translation suits your occasion, we bring the system with us: advice, software and the complete technology from a single source. You do not have to deal with any provider or piece anything together yourself.
So that the translation really reaches your participants, we supply everything that goes with hearing it and reading along: audio equipment, receivers and headsets, live subtitles, installation, a test run and on-site support. On request we feed the real-time translation in remotely from our own technical studio.
Would you rather know how human interpreters work? You will find more on our main page on simultaneous interpreting.
How does simultaneous translation with AI work?
How AI simultaneous translation works
Behind an AI interpreter there are three steps that follow one another within fractions of a second. The technical term is automated speech translation.
- Speech recognition turns what is said into text.
- Machine translation transfers that text into the target language.
- A synthetic voice speaks the result, or it runs along as a live subtitle.
In the room you notice this above all in the timing: the translation lags a few seconds behind the speaker. When the speaker changes, there is first a pause and then the content follows in quick succession.
One thing is worth knowing: each step builds on the one before. Whatever the speech recognition picks up incorrectly, whether acoustically or in terms of content, is then translated just as incorrectly and read out fluently, without anyone in the audience noticing. There is no plausibility check.
Two things therefore decide the outcome. First the technology: the AI can only translate what reaches it cleanly, and we take care of the right microphone setup and sound reinforcement. Second, the way people speak and the content of your event. What that means for your occasion is something we talk through with you in advance.
When AI simultaneous translation is a solution
There are formats in which real-time translation by AI already works:
- scripted presentations delivered calmly and clearly
- events where individual guests need a language for which a team of human interpreters would not be worthwhile for you
- rare languages or requests at very short notice, when no interpreters are available any more
- when a broad understanding of the content is enough
What they have in common: the language is prepared, the risk is manageable, and a misunderstanding would have no serious consequences. If that describes your event, an AI solution is a serious option.
In these cases we set up the AI, feed it in cleanly and stay alongside it throughout your event.
And when we advise against it
We are just as honest about when people are better than machines:
- anything involving press and the public, where a wrong sentence gets quoted
- negotiations, board meetings and legally relevant sessions
- dense specialist terminology, figures and study results
- lively discussions, interjections, strong dialects
- occasions that live on atmosphere and dramaturgy
An AI hears words, but it does not understand the situation. It does not notice when something was meant as a joke or when a speaker starts a sentence again. At an annual general meeting or a press conference that is too risky for us, and we will say so. For occasions like these, our simultaneous interpreters are the better choice.
Did you know?
An AI should be trained beforehand too. You give us your specialist vocabulary, your proper names and abbreviations, and we prepare the system with them. That is the single biggest lever for a good result.
Our services around AI interpreters and AI simultaneous translation
1. Advice and cost-benefit analysis
Not sure yet whether AI simultaneous translation suits your event? That is exactly where we start.
Together we look at your format and compare the AI solution with classic interpreting. We do not look at cost in purely monetary terms, because AI is not automatically the cheaper option. What comes into play:
- delay in the voice output
- limited grasp of context and situation
- quality with specialist terminology and spontaneous contributions
All of this affects the experience of your guests and therefore has its price too. We tell you transparently which solution really makes sense under your conditions, even when that speaks against the AI.
Data protection is part of that advice. We clarify with you where your audio data is processed, whether the provider reuses it for its own training and what that means for confidential content. If a cloud solution is not the right choice for your subject, we will say so.
2. The right AI system, set up by us
New with us: you no longer have to work your way through the market yourself. We now offer the AI solution as well and select the system that suits your occasion together with you.
We take care of set-up, languages and the link to your event technology. On request we prepare the system with your documents in advance, so that names, product designations and technical terms come across correctly, and we test it with real material from your organisation.
We are not tied to any product. What we recommend depends on your event, not on a contract.
3. AI interpreters for small and rare languages
Qualified interpreters are not available for every language at all times, and sometimes only a small part of your audience needs an additional language version. That is precisely when AI simultaneous translation is a pragmatic addition.
We integrate it as an additional language channel into your existing set-up. The main languages stay with the interpreting team, while smaller language groups are reliably served by AI. Typical cases:
- languages for which interpreters are hard to find
- very small groups of listeners for which a dedicated assignment would not be economical
- international events with unexpectedly high language diversity
That way we create language access for everyone without losing sight of quality, planning or budget. On site or from our technical studio.
4. Feeding AI interpreting into on-site events
Have you deliberately decided to rely on AI alone at your on-site event? Then we make sure it is implemented professionally.
We play out the AI interpretation through our own equipment, depending on your requirements as:
- speech to speech, in other words spoken translation to listen to
- speech to text, in other words live subtitles to read along
The output runs via receivers and headsets or via your participants own devices. We make sure your AI interpreter reaches everyone in the room, regardless of format, number of participants and technical environment.
Our technology for AI interpreters and live subtitles
What does technical infrastructure for AI interpreters actually mean?
By that we mean everything needed to play out an AI translation stably, in sync and to the right audience. This includes:
- audio equipment and a clean input signal
- signal routing
- multi-channel output
- receiving solutions
- technical monitoring during the event
It sounds unspectacular, but it decides whether your guests understand anything in the end.
Software and technology from a single source
AI simultaneous translation has two parts: the software that translates, and the technology that brings the translation to your participants. We supply both.
We do not only offer the AI software, we supply the complete technical equipment for your event: microphones and sound reinforcement, clean signal routing, multi-channel output, receivers and headsets, plus installation, a test run and support from professional technicians.
After almost 30 years in conference technology we know where set-ups like these go wrong. Usually not with the translation, but with the sound.
How the translation reaches your participants
AI simultaneous translation is only worth as much as what actually reaches the listeners. There are three ways to do that, and we recommend a different one depending on the event.
- Receivers and headsets: our standard on site. Transmission runs through our own system, so nothing depends on the venue wifi, which tends to become a bottleneck in a full hall. Put them on, choose a language, done.
- Bring your own device: your guests listen in on their own smartphones, with no equipment to hand out. We check the network situation at the venue beforehand and tell you openly if we advise against it.
- Live subtitles: reading along instead of listening in, on the screen, in the stream or on the participant own device.
You do not have to settle for one route only. Often the audio runs via receivers while the subtitles run alongside on the screen.
Live subtitling: reading along instead of listening in
Not every event needs a second audio channel. With live subtitling, what is said is recognised automatically, translated and displayed as subtitles, technically speaking a speech to text solution.
- on the screen in the room, in the stream or on your participants smartphones
- in several languages in parallel on request
- no headsets, no equipment to hand out, no disturbance in the room
It is particularly practical when only individual guests need a translation, when your event relies heavily on slides and visuals anyway, or when you would like a transcript afterwards. Because it is being written down in any case.
Fed in from our own technical studio
The technology for AI simultaneous translation does not have to sit in your room. On request we feed everything in remotely from our own technical studio.
That saves space, especially when the room is tight or the stage already needs the floor area, and it saves the set-up on site. In our studio our technicians work in a controlled environment: professional audio equipment, stable lines, continuous monitoring. They listen in the whole time and step in before you even notice that something is going wrong.
We connect our human interpreters from the same studio, in case you would like to combine people and AI.
Why simultando is the right partner for your AI project
- almost 30 years of experience in multilingual communication
- in-depth know-how in conference, event and audio technology
- AI system and technology from a single source, instead of software here and equipment there
- not tied to any product: we recommend what suits your event
- clear processes, predictable results, personal support
What we aim for: technology that stays in the background, and communication that gets through.
FAQ – frequently asked questions about AI interpreting
What is an AI interpreter?
An AI interpreter is a software-based solution that automatically recognises spoken language, translates it and reproduces it in another language.
Can an AI interpreter be used without additional technology?
No, AI interpreters also need to be connected reliably with participants. Without professional audio and transmission technology, there may be delays, quality issues or incorrect language allocation.
Is an AI interpreter cheaper than a human interpreter?
It is difficult to compare the costs for AI interpreting with the fees charged for an experienced simultaneous interpreter. Of course, event budgets do not need to include any travel or board costs for AI, and user licences vary according to the AI interpreting system in question. However, depending on the level of quality and cultural sensitivity required for negotiations, as well as data protection and confidentiality concerns, there are also financial risks associated with using AI systems. These need to be weighed up and factored in for each case.
What kind of infrastructure is necessary for AI interpreting?
Professional AI interpreting calls for pristine audio technology, stable signal routing, multichannel output and suitable reception solutions.
Does AI interpreting also work for hybrid or digital events?
Yes, an AI interpreter can also be used for hybrid and digital events. Our infrastructure is specially designed for on-location, online and hybrid formats.
What does AI simultaneous translation cost?
The price is made up of the licence for the AI system, the equipment used and the support on site or from the technical studio. The software alone is usually cheaper than an interpreting team, but the technology for output and reception is needed either way. A reliable figure is only possible once the format, languages, number of participants and venue are known.
How reliable is real-time translation by AI?
That depends heavily on the occasion. With prepared presentations, a calm delivery and good sound, the results are usable. Spontaneous speech, specialist terminology, dialects, interjections and poor audio quality reduce accuracy considerably. Errors made by speech recognition carry through into translation and voice output and are not recognisable to listeners.
What is the difference between an AI interpreter and live subtitles?
An AI interpreter outputs the translation as spoken language, technically speech to speech. Live subtitles show it as text to read along instead, technically speech to text. Both rely on the same speech recognition and machine translation and can also be used in parallel, for example audio via receivers and subtitles on the screen.
Can AI simultaneous translation also be fed in remotely?
Yes. On request simultando feeds AI simultaneous translation in remotely from its own technical studio. This saves floor space and set-up time at the venue. Technical support and monitoring run from the studio, while simultando still provides the receiving equipment on site.
How does data protection work with an AI interpreter?
Many AI solutions process audio and text data via cloud servers, some of them outside the EU. Before use, the place of processing, the data processing agreement and the question of whether content is reused for the provider training need to be clarified. simultando checks this when selecting the system. With confidential or personal content, this can be a reason against an AI solution.
Who is liable if the AI translates something incorrectly?
In a dispute there is no liable party for an AI error. Human interpreters, by contrast, work under professional obligations and are accountable for their work. For contract negotiations, mediations and workplace or safety briefings this is a substantial argument against relying on AI alone.
Does simultando offer the AI software itself?
Yes. simultando now offers the AI solution itself, selects the suitable system together with the client and sets it up. There is no tie to any particular provider. Solutions the client already has in place can be integrated just as well.
simultando is a highly experienced full-service partner for all interpreting questions. We have almost 30 years of experience in organising interpreting teams and infrastructural solutions. Talk to us to see what we can do for you.