Google Translate's accuracy has improved significantly over the past five years, from 2019 to 2024. According to various studies and assessments, the accuracy of Google Translate has improved by an average of 34% based on BLEU scores, which measure the quality of machine translation. This improvement is largely due to advancements in deep learning and pattern recognition technologies, which have enabled Google Translate to upgrade its neural networks and enhance translation accuracy and speed.
One study published in 2019 found that Google Translate's accuracy for medical instructions, a particularly challenging test of accuracy, had improved significantly. The study found that Google Translate's accuracy for medical instructions had improved from 57% in 2014 to 94% in 2019. Another study published in 2020 found that Google Translate's accuracy for translating colloquial phrases had improved from 72% in 2019 to 84% in 2020.
However, it's important to note that Google Translate's accuracy can vary greatly across languages, with some languages being more accurately translated than others. Additionally, the complexity of the language pair and the nature of the content being translated can also affect the accuracy of Google Translate.
Despite these improvements, Google Translate is still not perfect, and there have been cases where its translations have led to miscommunication and error. Therefore, it's important to use Google Translate effectively and follow best practices when relying on its translations, especially in critical situations such as medical or legal contexts.