Hello word wranglers of the freelance world,

Here’s something AI still gets embarrassingly wrong: counting.

Just this week, one of our AI Mastery for Translators… And Beyond students ran into a frustrating glitch. She was translating content under tight character-count restrictions. So she asked AI for help checking her character counts… spaces included.

Sounds simple, right?

Except the numbers were off. Consistently. And not just a little. Microsoft Word showed totals that didn’t match what the AI had confidently claimed. She thought she was safe… she wasn’t.

Why?

Because AI doesn’t actually count. It predicts.

Instead of calculating like a spreadsheet, large language models like GPT guess the next thing based on patterns. They “think” like autocomplete on steroids. And that means they’re surprisingly bad at things like counting letters, words, or characters. Even things like keeping bullet points in order or repeating exact phrases can trip them up.

This isn’t just a tech quirk… it’s a workflow risk.

Translators like us deal with strict character limits all the time. Subtitles. UI strings. Marketing headlines. Mess up the length and it won’t fit—or worse, you’ll get flagged by a client.

So here’s the practical fix:
Use AI where it shines—writing, refining, rewording. But when it’s time to check limits or verify structure, fall back on good old Word or Excel. Tools that were built for precision.

As one member put it:
“AI isn’t your only tool. And it shouldn’t be.”

You can also dig deeper into this topic in a post Dave shared in the AI4LanguageProfessionals group. He even shared a video that explains more:
https://ai4languageprofessionals.groups.io/g/main/message/2098

Here’s the big picture:

AI is your assistant, not your replacement. The more you understand what it does well (and what it doesn’t), the more powerfully you can use it in your own workflow.

If this kind of thing makes your gears turn, come join us tomorrow for the next live webclass. It’s free. It’s practical. And it’s designed to help you keep doing the work you love, faster and better.
Register here: https://cotranslatorai.com/webclass

Important heads-up: this webclass is also the only way to get into AI Mastery for Translators… and Beyond. If you’re serious about future-proofing your career, don’t miss it.

Until then, keep those counts clean,
Steven

PS – What’s your experience with AI and numbers? Hit Reply and let me know.