Differences Between Human And AI-Based Transcription Services

Transcription is the process of converting the spoken language in an audio/video file to a text format. It is used in multiple fields like education, law, corporate companies, healthcare, and content creation. Depending on the field, the role of transcription varies. 

Transcription is used to keep track of records of data from webinars, seminars, conferences, and interviews that allow them to revisit the points or keep track of any ideas that might have been overlooked previously. 

In educational institutes, transcripts of recorded lectures act as notes for that particular subject topic which helps the students immensely to revise and understand the concepts better. 

Having transcripts of company meetings and interviews allows market researchers to analyze trends and suggest possible changes that will enable the company to thrive more. 

In terms of content creation, transcription services are used to add subtitles to the video or audio and translate the subtitles into multiple languages. To expand viewership and attract a global audience. 

Depending upon the need and workload, the type of transcription services is chosen. One can hire freelance transcriptors for a lesser amount of money if your content isn’t huge or you could opt for conventional language companies that not only transcribe your content but also provide translation services alongside. 

If your budget permits, it is advised to go for peer-reviewed transcription companies; which as they are more trustworthy, and others can vouch for their standards and quality of service.

Types of Transcription Services

Transcription services can be either manual, where the entire transcription is done manually by the employees using different software, where they listen to the audio or video clip and type the text on their own. 

They can be AI-mediated, where the transcription and translations are carried out with the help of AI tools completely, or they can be hybrid, which combines manual and AI tools for the process.

Each of the types has its benefits and weaknesses, so let us have a comparative analysis of the different types.

Manual Method: 

Advantages:

1. Accuracy: The manual method guarantees the highest accuracy, as the audio can be listened to and correctly interpreted by humans better than any machine. It also ensures accurate transcripts and maintains the quality even when the audio quality is poor or contains a lot of background noise, which is not possible while using AI. 

2. Understanding And interpretation: Humans are more skilled at understanding conversational cues and tonal changes, which can lead to a more in-depth interpretation of the context of the content. It also ensures that cultural cues are conserved and the underlying messages are received.

3. Incomplete Sentences: Humans are better at analyzing the context and completing incomplete sentences or filling in the missing or distorted parts accordingly. 

4. Customizing: Depending on the demands of the client, the transcriptors can change the formatting and/or omit and add parts, making any last-minute changes more efficient. 

Disadvantages: 

1. Time-Consuming: Manual transcription is immensely time-consuming as compared to AI, which does the work in a matter of minutes, depending upon the length of the audio/video. 

2. Expensive: Doing transcription manually increases the cost of the process as the transcriptors have to put in a lot of labour behind the audio extraction, interpretation, and then writing it down. AI tools are comparatively inexpensive.

3. Scalability: Manual transcription requires a lot of time and the transcriptors may not be able to handle a large amount of work or complete it within a given deadline. For such cases, AI is better. 

Using AI tools:

AI uses different software and its algorithms to interpret the audio files and transcribe them accordingly. Otter.ai and Rev AI are two of the tools used in AI-based transcription. 

Advantages:

1. Cost-effective: AI-based transcription is much cheaper than manual process because the cost of labour is reduced and AI doesn’t need to do extensive labour to transcribe the audio.

2. Speed: AI-based transcription is much faster and more time-saving as compared to the manual process. It transcribes files within a few minutes.

3. Scalability: AI can handle a large number of files and transcribe them efficiently. Due to their time-saving and efficient process, AI can meet deadlines easily and can complete the task at hand, quicker than manual processes. 

4. Additional Features: AI can incorporate multiple features and distinguish between different speakers with ease. It can also timestamp the texts more efficiently and accurately than humans. 

Disadvantages: 

1. Understanding And interpretation: AI cannot understand social cues, cultural references, or the tonal changes in the conversation; hence the transcripts generated wouldn’t be as in-depth or culturally relevant as in the manual process. 

2. Accuracy: AI-based transcription is relatively less accurate than the manual method. AI cannot interpret language as correctly as humans and thus can make errors if the audio quality is poor or there is a lot of white noise. 

3. Customization: AI cannot do as many customizations as via manual methods. It also cannot edit or make any last-minute changes.

Hybrid Method:

It combines human precision and comprehension with the speed and efficiency of AI. You can transcribe a large amount of workload accurately in a matter of minutes. 

Depending on the criteria and the requirements, one can choose whether to opt for the manual method or AI tools or go for the hybrid method.

Conclusion 

Transcription or the process of converting spoken words in audio/video files into text format for further use. Transcription can be done by either the manual method or by using AI tools, or via the hybrid method, combining both the manual and AI methods. If you want accuracy and tonal understanding while maintaining the cultural cues, it is advised to opt for the manual transcription method. 

If you have a lot of projects and require them to be transcribed quickly and efficiently, it is advised to opt for the AI tools-based method. The hybrid method offers a flexible approach while maintaining accuracy and efficiency. 

It is important to note that AI tools use the data to optimize their builds and offer better services, so if your content contains any sensitive information, it would be prudent to not opt for AI-based transcription.