Nov 3, 2026 Sıla İlkılıç

Automatic translation in public services: A survey of the Finnish public sector

This presentation explains findings from a survey on the use of automatic translation in Finnish public services, conducted in autumn 2025. Adapted from a similar survey conducted at the University of Bristol, the present survey focused on users whose main professional activity is not translation or interpreting. The study analyzed those professionals’ habits around automatic translation use, the purposes and the contexts involved, and the respondents’ satisfaction and confidence in using automatic translation. Approximately half of the respondents reported using automatic translation at least once a week and across a range of scenarios, including public-facing situations. While the survey sample is not representative of the Finnish public sector as a whole, the data suggests that automatic translation may play a role in the everyday work of at least some public service employees. 

Biographical note

Sıla İlkılıç is a PhD researcher in Translation Studies at the University of Eastern Finland. Her work focuses on the practical uses of machine translation and AI in translation (or just automatic translation) by non-translation professionals. Her current research examines how employees in Finnish public services use automatic translation and how they assess its quality.