Using artificial intelligence for translation purposes
Read the Translation Bureau’s advice on using artificial intelligence for translation purposes, and learn more about its GCtranslate prototype.
On this page
- To use or not to use artificial intelligence for translation, that is the question
- GCtranslate, the Translation Bureau’s artificial intelligence prototype
- Related links
To use or not to use artificial intelligence for translation, that is the question
All artificial intelligence tools can make mistakes. Whether your text is long or short, simple or complex, before you translate it using artificial intelligence, consider the impacts that translation errors could have. Could they, for example,
- cause reputational harm to yourself or your organization?
- provide you or others with misinformation?
- result in complaints or legal action?
- endanger someone’s health or safety?
- violate someone’s language rights?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should ask a professional translator to review your artificial intelligence translation or even translate the whole text from start to finish.
Furthermore, artificial intelligence tools available on the Internet should not be used to translate confidential information, as their servers are often located outside the country and may store the information that is provided to them.
Are you part of the Government of Canada? Keep it simple: call on the Translation Bureau. Whether you’re looking for effortless translation services that combine technological efficiency with human expertise, or you want to have your artificial intelligence translations reviewed, the Translation Bureau is here to help.
GCtranslate, the Translation Bureau’s artificial intelligence prototype
The Artificial Intelligence Strategy for the Federal Public Service 2025–2027 calls for the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence to achieve a more innovative and efficient workplace within the Government of Canada. As part of the Strategy’s first lighthouse project, the Translation Bureau is developing a hub of self-serve artificial intelligence language tools for federal public servants.
The first of these tools to be implemented is called GCtranslate. It is an artificial intelligence prototype trained using Canadian data managed by the Translation Bureau to translate Government of Canada texts between English and French.
GCtranslate:
- uses the Government of Canada’s terminology and takes into account Canada’s cultural and linguistic realities
- is secure up to and including the Protected B level, and its data is stored in Canada
- provides instant translations for texts that do not require language expertise, allowing human translators to focus on complex or high-stakes content
- saves departments the costs and efforts required to buy or develop and maintain their own translation tools
GCtranslate trial
The GCtranslate prototype is deployed as part of a trial to the following organizations only: Canadian Heritage; Finance Canada; the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada; Public Services and Procurement Canada; the Privy Council Office; and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Employees of these organizations can access GCtranslate using the button below (available on the Government of Canada network only), depending on the pace of deployment in their organization: