google-translategoogle-translation-apimachine-translation

Can I feed translations back to Google Cloud Translation API to train it?


I am using the Google Translate neural network (amazing improvement) via the Google Cloud Translation API in SDL Trados to process technical translations.

Of course it needs heavy post-editing, mostly terminology and sometimes style. I would really like if the neural network could learn from this post editing - but there seems to be no way to do feed my edits back. It is possible when using the web interface manually (translate.google.com). The (years unupdated) Google Translator Toolkit allowed to used a shared public TM, but that is now obsolete with the neural network.

Can I somehow feed translations back to Google Cloud Translation API to train it?

Their FAQ states this:

"Does Google use my data for training purposes?

No, Google does not use the content you translate to train and improve our machine translation engine. In order to improve the quality of machine translation, Google needs parallel text - the content along with the human translation of that content."


Solution

  • As you pointed out, in the documentation regarding confidentiality, it is highlighted that Google does not use the data for training purposes as a background/transparent process, due to the following reasons:

    Moreover, there is currently not the possibility to suggest translations to the API in order to train the model in a more custom way.

    As a side note, you might be interested in keeping an eye on AutoML, the new Google Cloud Platform's product that is currently still in alpha, but to which you can request access by filling in the form in the main page. It will allow the creation of custom Machine Learning models without requiring the dedication and expertise that other more complex products such as ML Engine require. The first product of the AutoML family to be launched will be AutoML Vision, but it is possible that similar products will appear for some of the other ML-related APIs in the Platform, such as the Translation API, which is the one you are interested in.

    Also feel free to visit the Google Cloud Big Data and Machine Learning Blog from time to time in order to keep updated in the latest news in this field. If you are interested in AutoML, its release and presentation will probably have an article in the blog too.

    So as a summary: no, currently you cannot feed suggested translations back to the Translation API, but in the future you might be able to do so, or at least have your own custom models.