The Power Of The Human Touch: Why You Should Choose Human Transcriptions Over Automated Solutions

Artificial Intelligence, also known as AI, has made amazing improvements in the ever-changing environment of technological developments, altering industries and simplifying challenging jobs. Transcription is one process that involves converting audio to text. However, while speech AI-powered transcription tools have gained popularity due to their efficiency, they frequently fall short compared to human transcribers' capabilities.

In this blog, we will look into why human transcriptions still have an advantage over automated speech-to-text software, digging into the nuances, context, and knowledge only humans can provide to this art form.

4 Reasons Why Human Transcription Is Better Than Automated Transcription

1. Context and Nuance

Language is a multifaceted network of background, cultural allusions, idiomatic expressions, and emotions. Human transcribers have an intrinsic capacity to transcribe an audio recording into a text file while catching the finer details that AI algorithms frequently struggle to grasp. An experienced human transcriber, for example, can differentiate between homophones and accurately interpret ambiguous phrases based on the context of the discussion. This level of comprehension is critical for creating accurate transcriptions, especially in fields such as legal, medical, and academic research.

2. Accents and Dialects

The world is a rainbow of accents and dialects, each with its unique beauty. While speech recognition transcription technology has made tremendous progress in recognizing and transcribing varied accents, they can still struggle with thick accents, regional dialects, or quick speech. On the other hand, human transcribers may adjust to these idiosyncrasies, resulting in a more precise and cohesive transcription that accurately captures the speaker's voice.

3. Complex Conversations

AI transcription is efficient when it automatically transcribes audio or video files. However, it can't capture everything that happens in human interaction. The human transcriber has the cognitive skills to decouple these complexities during the transcription process to make a final transcript understandable and accurate. They can distinguish between speakers, regulate interruptions, filter out background noise, and be able to pick up subtle variations in speech, which are decisive for the entire meaning of a dialogue.

4. Domain-Specific Knowledge

In some areas, the accurate recording of conversations requires special knowledge. It is essential that, in technical, scientific, and legal debates, a transcriptionist must understand a precise translation of the industry's particular terminology. A human transcriber with expert knowledge in these fields can understand the content, ensuring that it is accurate, complete, and relevant to the given context.

Three Examples Of Human Transcriptions Being Better Than AI

1. Accents and Dialects

Humans can accurately transcribe spoken words which may be difficult for artificial intelligence to understand while dealing with strong accents or local dialects. 

2. Overlapping Speech and Interruptions

Human transcribers can differentiate multiple speakers and assemble the conversation coherently during discussions with overlapping speech or interruptions. In group discussions, interviews, or debates where participants are allowed to speak at once in person or in a Google Meet call for instance, this can be very useful, especially for verbatim transcriptions.

3. Sensitive Content

There is a level of discretion and ethical considerations that only humans can provide when it comes to transcriptions involving sensitive or confidential information. The transcriber may omit or partially paraphrase sensitive content to preserve privacy and confidentiality.

Human Transcriptions or AI Transcriptions?

AI transcription tools can be reliable for their ability to transcribe audio and video recordings efficiently to meet tight turnaround times. However, they constantly face the immense complexity of our language. At TranscriptionWing, our human transcribers continue providing irreplaceable value in transcription services with their innate understanding of context, accents, and domain-specific knowledge. They have remarkable skills, are perfectly able to take the distinctive flavor of speech, and act as a conductor in conversations filled with interruptions and overlapping speech, directing the conversation to a clear and meaningful transcript. They are sensitive to delicate content as they navigate with concern and care to protect private information that artificial intelligence could not replicate.

The art of transcribing is beyond mere words, preserving the essence of human communication to ensure a precise capture of detail and richness in conversation. As we move into the technological world, let us remember that skilled transcribers have an essential role in bridging the gap between words and written text.

If you're considering using AI transcription, you may want to make the switch to 100% human transcription services. TranscriptionWing can transcribe your audio or video content into high-quality transcripts and even edit your currently existing automatic transcripts for higher accuracy. Whether it's hours or even minutes of audio that need transcribing, our human transcribers are always happy to transcribe your files and support your project needs.