The Robots Are Coming! Can AI Replace Human Legal Translators?

“Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.” — C. S. Lewis

AI and the Translation Industry: A 15-Year Perspective

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been part of the translation industry for years. When I launched Linguistico in 2008, a common question was whether a translation business was even necessary alongside a rapidly improving Google Translate.

Fifteen years later, the answer is clear: human translation is not only relevant—it’s essential.

While AI has advanced, much of the noise about its impact comes from the media rather than the linguists themselves. For those who have ever translated legal documents involving different legal systems, cultural nuances, and terminology (common law vs. Roman law, anyone?), AI remains far from replacing human expertise.

AI: A Cause for Celebration, Not Concern?

Instead of fearing AI, perhaps we should celebrate its contributions:

• Ensuring consistency in repetitive translations (e.g., instruction manuals, signage).
• Enhancing communication for diverse communities.
• Providing translation suggestions when struggling with phrasing.
• Assisting with casual translations, like sending greetings to friends abroad.
• Offering entertainment, as AI translations occasionally provide a good laugh.

However, where AI falls short is in replicating the deep expertise, cultural understanding, and critical thinking of a professional translator—especially in law.

Why AI Can’t Replace Human Legal Translators

Legal translation is a balancing act. As Atticus Finch might say:

“You never really understand a document until you consider it from the author’s point of view—until you climb in their skin and walk around in it.”

A human legal translator must:

• Interpret the author’s intent while ensuring clarity for the target audience.
• Adapt content to different legal systems without altering meaning.
• Account for terminology gaps, sometimes adding notes to explain foreign legal concepts.

AI cannot replicate these skills. You wouldn’t trust a machine to draft a legal opinion for a multi-million-dollar arbitration—so why expect it to deliver an accurate legal translation?

An AI Translation Experiment: A Suit vs. An Outfit

To illustrate AI’s shortcomings, I ran a quick test with an industry-leading translation tool:

Original Sentence (English → French → Back to English):

IN: Ms. J. Robinson at the suit of Royal Sun Alliance.
OUT: Mme J. Robinson au costume de Royal Sun Alliance.
BACK IN: Mme J. Robinson au costume de Royal Sun Alliance.
BACK OUT: Mrs. J. Robinson in the Royal Sun Alliance outfit.

Notice the problem?

• AI mistranslated suit (as in a legal case) into costume (as in clothing).
• It also changed “Ms.” to “Mrs.,” as French lacks a direct equivalent.

Even after correction, AI improved slightly but still failed to understand the legal context. Now imagine the consequences if this error appeared in an actual legal document.

AI in Legal Institutions: A Tool, Not a Replacement

Even high-level institutions, like the European Court of Justice (ECJ), use AI-assisted translation. However, professional translators don’t rely on it blindly. One ECJ translator shared:

“AI translation software is recommended, but I only use it as a tool—alongside dictionaries, legal references, and my 30 years of experience.”

From our experience, AI-assisted translations don’t outperform human translations. In fact, when clients request post-editing of AI translations, translators often scrap the AI version and start over—eliminating the cost and time savings AI was supposed to provide.

When AI-Assisted Translation Works (and When It Doesn’t)

✅ Useful: When speed matters more than precision (e.g., getting the gist of a document).

❌ Risky: When accuracy is critical (e.g., court translations, legal contracts).

In Australia, court translations must be NAATI-certified. It will be a long time—if ever—before courts trust AI to replace experienced human translators.

The Future: AI as a Tool, Not a Threat

AI will continue evolving, but it should be seen as a translator’s assistant, not a replacement.

However, when Ms. J. Robinson’s suit permanently transforms into an outfit, we should all sit up and take note.

Final Thoughts

AI is a fantastic tool for many types of translations, but when it comes to legal, high-stakes, or nuanced content, human expertise remains irreplaceable. Would you trust a machine to interpret laws that could impact your business, contracts, or legal proceedings? Probably not.

AI can assist—but when it matters most, humans still hold the gavel.

– David Salter, dual-qualified lawyer. Founder, Linguistico Australia.