acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

BLOG@CACM

Artificial Intelligence Without Real Intelligence?


View as: Print Mobile App Share:
Herbert Bruderer

On the basis of selected examples, it will be examined whether language translation programs (DeepL Translator and Google Translate) are really intelligent and whether they are capable of learning. Is there a false intelligence? Do the programs understand what they write?

Errors are marked in red.

 

The programs sometimes use incorrect technical terms or confuse them. From time to time, the translation makes no sense.

 

Source text

Manche wissenschaftliche Bücher haben sowohl ein Geleitwort wie auch ein Vorwort.

DeepL

Some scientific books have both a preface and a preface.

Google Translate

Some scholarly books have both a foreword and a foreword.

 

Source text

Kennen Sie den Unterschied zwischen einem Geleit- und einem Vorwort?

DeepL

Do you know the difference between a preface and a foreword?

Google Translate

Do you know the difference between an introduction and a foreword?

 

Source text

Das Geleitwort stammt beispielsweise vom Herausgeber, das Vorwort von der Verfasserin.

DeepL

For example, the foreword comes from the editor, the foreword from the author.

Google Translate

For example, the foreword comes from the editor, the foreword from the author.

 

Conclusion

Both programs translate all three sentences incorrectly. They do not understand the content of the texts. Geleitwort means foreword, Vorwort equals preface.

 

Source text

Wir unterscheiden mehrere Arten von Rechenschiebern: Rechenstäbe, Rechenscheiben, Rechenwalzen und Rechenuhren.

DeepL

We distinguish between several types of slide rules: rake rods, calculating discs, rake rollers and slide clocks.

Google Translate

We differentiate between several types of slide rules: slide rules, slide discs, slide rulers and slide clocks.

 

Source text

Rechenschieber wie Rechenstäbe, Rechenscheiben, Rechentrommeln und Rechenuhren sind analoge Rechenhilfsmittel.

DeepL

Slide rules such as rake rods, calculating discs, calculating drums and calculating clocks are analogue calculating aids.

Google Translate

Slide rules such as slide rules, slide discs, slide drums and calculator clocks are analogue computing aids.

 

What progress have the two programs made over the past four years? For this purpose, we compare the results of the years 2019, 2020 and 2023 (see Google Translate Does Not Understand the Content of the Texts | blog@CACM | Communications of the ACM and Automatic Translators are Not Really Capable of Learning | blog@CACM | Communications of the ACM)

 

Source text

Es gibt hauptsächlich drei Arten analoger Rechenschieber: Rechenstäbe, Rechenscheiben und Rechenwalzen.

DeepL

2019: There are mainly three types of analog slide rules: slide bars, slide disks and rake rollers.

2020: There are three main types of analog slide rules: slide rules, discs and rollers.

2023: There are mainly three types of analog slide rules: rake rods, discs and rake rollers.

Google Translate

2019: There are mainly three types of analogue slide rules: rulers, calculating discs and raking rollers.

2020: There are three main types of analog slide rules: slide rules, calculating discs and calculating rollers.

2023: There are three main types of analog slide rules: slide rules, slide discs and slide rulers.

 

Source text

Zu den wichtigsten Formen der Rechenschieber gehören der Rechenstab, die Rechenscheibe, die Rechenwalze und die Rechenuhr.

DeepL

2019: The most important forms of slide rules are the slide bar, the disc rule, the screen roller and the screen clock.

2020: The most important forms of slide rules are the slide rule, the disc rule, the roller rule and the clock.

2023: The most important forms of slide rule include the rake stick, the calculating disc, the calculating roller and the calculating clock.

Google Translate

2019: Among the most important forms of slide rule are the ruler, the ruler, the rake and the ruler.

2020: The most important forms of slide rule include the slide rule, the calculation disk, the calculation roller and the calculation clock.

2023: The most important forms of slide rule include the slide rule, the slide disc, the slide rule and the slide clock.

 

Correct technical terms

Rechenscheibe = circular slide rule

Rechenschieber = slide rule

Rechenstab = linear slide rule, straight slide rule

Rechentrommel = cylindrical slide rule

Rechenuhr = pocket watch slide rule

Rechenwalze = cylindrical slide rule

 

Source text

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz gilt als Erfinder des Sprossenrads und der Staffelwalze.

DeepL

2019: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is regarded as the inventor of the sprocket wheel and the relay roller.

2020: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is considered the inventor of the sprocket wheel and the relay roller.

2023: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is considered the inventor of the rung wheel and the relay roller.

Google Translate

2019: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is regarded as the inventor of the sprocket wheel and the squadron roller.

2020: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is considered the inventor of the sprout wheel and the graduated roller.

2023: Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz is regarded as the inventor of the sprocket wheel and the stepped roller.

 

Correct technical terms

Sprossenrad = pinwheel

Staffelwalze = stepped drum

 

Conclusion

In these cases, the automatic translators are hardly capable of learning. The results are partly unusable. The translations are not always consistent and sometimes quite unreliable.

 

Herbert Bruderer (herbert.bruderer@bluewin.ch; bruderer@retired.ethz.ch) is a retired lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at ETH Zurich and a historian of technology.


 

No entries found

Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account