When a doctor can’t find an interpreter, many now reach for Google Translate. It seems like a practical fix to a pressing problem. But a new study warns this quick solution may be putting refugee and migrant patients at serious risk – exposing them to translation errors that could lead to misdiagnosis, wrong treatment or worse.
The study, led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Limerick – of which we were part – examined how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to bridge language gaps between doctors and patients. The findings reveal a troubling pattern: AI translation tools are increasingly replacing human interpreters in GP surgeries, even though none of these apps have been tested for patient safety.
