Working in Japan: Enhancing Work Life for Foreign Employees Using Generative AI Translators

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, language barriers have become a significant challenge for businesses operating on a global scale. This is particularly true in countries like Japan, where the native language is vastly different from commonly spoken languages such as English. However, the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have brought forth a new generation of translation tools that promise to revolutionize the way we communicate across different languages. 

In this article, we delve into how incorporating generative AI translator option (Metamone GPT) into Microsoft Teams chat impacted the everyday work of foreign employees in our company in Japan. We will explore the advantages of generative AI translators compared to other translation tools, shedding light on how AI-produced translations have made life at work easier and more efficient for our team.  

Advantages of Using Generative AI Translation Technology  

Foreign nationals working for our company often rely on translation tools to aid them in their work. This is particularly apparent when writing articles and posts in Japanese to ensure accuracy and clarity. However, while using the widely-known traditional translation tools such as Google Translator, they often encountered unnatural translation outcomes, especially while translating longer texts or idiomatic phrases. Therefore, in order to eliminate problems due to language differences, we decided to incorporate generative AI chatbot into our Microsoft Teams chat. 

Translation experiments conducted by users have shown that chatbots like Chat GPT are superior in providing coherent translations and detecting nuances, thanks to their ability to collect and analyze large amounts of data. [1][2]

Moreover, with the use of Metamone’s API, developers have control over the training data Metamone receives and can limit the amount of information stored. It can be configured to only retain the necessary data that is required for its learning and functioning, while discarding or not storing any sensitive or unnecessary information. This allows to define the boundaries for the data that Metamone can process and store, ensuring data privacy and security.[3]

One of the major advantages of chatbots over traditional internet translation sites is their ability to provide context and interpretation when translating texts that contain idioms or cultural meanings. Unlike internet translation sites, chatbots do not only offer translation of the content but also can be asked to provide explanations and interpretations of expressions that may not be immediately understood.  Moreover, chatbots excel in handling translations of various nuances in an interactive format due to their generative AI capabilities. Users can request translations in different styles, such as business-style or casual-style content, and even provide specific commands and instructions to ensure a natural and contextually accurate translation.  [4]

Below is our example of the translation comparison between generative AI and other translation tools. We tried to translate the part of the RPA (Robotic Process Automation) definition taken from Wikipedia [5], from Japanese to English, with the following results: 

Google Translate

DeepL

Metamone GPT

As shown above, Metamone provided more syntactically correct translation in comparison to both other tools, and more detailed one as compared to the result provided by DeepL. What is more, we could also immediately ask Metamone for clarification of unknown terms, while using the same chat space. 

How Metamone GPT Helped our Employees? 

The introduction of generative AI translation technology has greatly benefited foreign employees in the workplace. With this advanced tool, employees can not only translate documents or articles but also ask for interpretations of specific terms and receive suggestions for new ideas. This feature significantly enhances their ability to effectively communicate and articulate their thoughts in a foreign language.  

Our employees find AI chatbot’s translating and other functions invaluable when communicating with colleagues and supervisors via chat. Sometimes, they encounter unfamiliar words or expressions in instructions or documents and being able to quickly understand them through translation greatly enhances their productivity. Furthermore, there are instances where conveying their thoughts and ideas in English yields better understanding, particularly since team members are primarily working remotely. Utilizing the Japanese and English sentence translation function in the chat window helps bridge communication gaps between team members working from home.  

Additionally, the easy accessibility of the chatbot within communication platforms like Teams allows for seamless translation of messages and documents received from team members. As a result, communication became smoother, and employees can now respond to each other’s messages using the same tool, creating a more inclusive work environment.  

Moreover, since AI translation tools possess the capability to access and analyze vast amounts of data, they enabled foreign employees to comprehend technical or specialized content written in other languages without the need for specialized dictionaries. This ability to easily understand complex material enhances their productivity and efficiency in their respective roles, making them indispensable assets to our team. 

Conclusion

With the ability to generate natural-sounding translations and adapt to nuanced linguistic contexts, generative AI translators have emerged as a game-changer for overcoming language barriers in the workplace. They have also significantly enhanced the work experience for foreign employees in our company, by fostering a more inclusive work environment and supporting cross-cultural understanding.  

Additionally, these translators have allowed foreign employees to integrate more efficiently into the company, ultimately improving productivity and promoting overall job satisfaction. As technology continues to advance, we can expect generative AI translators to further evolve and enhance the work experience for foreign employees and the entire organization. 

References

[1] Google Translate vs ChatGPT vs DeepL: Translator Ultimate Showdown – Metaroids
[2] How Good Is ChatGPT at Translating Content? – translate plus
[3] Deploy your ChatGPT based model securely using Microsoft Teams, Power Virtual Agent and Azure OpenAI
[4] How to Use ChatGPT as a Language Translation Tool (makeuseof.com)
[5] ロボティック・プロセス・オートメーション – Wikipedia

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