Minnesota Enterprise Translation Office ChatGPT Integration

The State of Minnesota’s Enterprise Translation Office (ETO) has integrated ChatGPT into its workflow to provide faster, more accurate, and more equitable translation services for the state’s Executive Branch. This initiative addresses critical language gaps for the over 20 percent of Minnesota residents who primarily speak a language other than English, specifically targeting major non-English languages such as Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.

AI-Enhanced Translation Workflow and Quality Assurance

The ETO has transitioned from a decentralized system of external contractors to a centralized AI-driven process. To ensure safety, ethics, and transparency, the ETO collaborated with the Transparent Artificial Intelligence Governance Alliance (TAIGA) and Minnesota’s IT Services program.

Human-in-the-Loop Process

The ETO employs a hybrid workflow where ChatGPT handles the initial translation stage, followed by meticulous human review and quality assurance. This process ensures that AI-generated content is verified by translation experts before being finalized.

Cultural Relevance and Custom GPTs

To improve cultural awareness and linguistic precision, the ETO developed custom GPTs. For Hmong and Somali languages, the office created spreadsheets containing culturally relevant terms and translations, which were incorporated into the models. When translation experts correct ChatGPT's output, these corrections are uploaded back into the custom GPTs to prevent the same mistakes from recurring.

Quantifiable Impact on Government Services

Since its beta launch, the ETO has processed over 3,000 translation requests and translated more than 2,000,000 words. The integration of ChatGPT has resulted in four primary benefits:

  • Reduced Turnaround Times: Translation requests that previously took weeks are now completed in under 48 hours, with urgent requests fulfilled in as little as 2 hours.
  • Financial Efficiency: The new workflow has generated financial benefits exceeding $100,000 per month, allowing the state to redirect funds to other strategic initiatives.
  • Expanded Language Support: The ETO now provides translation and quality assurance for French, Arabic, Plain Language English, and Pidgin English, in addition to Spanish, Somali, and Hmong.
  • Increased Accessibility: The ETO provides cost reimbursements for requesters who use ETO services with ChatGPT and perform quality assurance via external vendors for additional languages.

Expansion to Real-Time Interpretation and Assistive Technology

Following the full rollout in July, the ETO has expanded its AI applications into two key areas:

Real-Time Voice Interpretation

The ETO is currently conducting a limited pilot project testing ChatGPT’s voice capabilities for real-time interpretation to assist non-English-speaking citizens in live situations.

Assistive Technology Integration

The ETO is supporting the Minnesota System of Technology to Achieve Results (STAR) Program. This allows the STAR Program to provide multilingual translations for text used in screen readers, speech-generating devices, and other assistive technologies for aging adults and residents with disabilities.

Expert Perspectives on Inclusion

"The balance between accuracy and speed is the crux of the problem."

— Adam Taha, Director of the ETO

"When communities face challenges, delivering information in their language is essential, but timely delivery is often difficult. Now, our community receives crucial government information faster than ever, with rapid turnarounds eliminating the long wait for important documents."

— Daha Gobdoon, Somali language team lead

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