September 10, 2025

The $71 Million Translation Mistake (and How AI Could’ve Prevented It)

In 2009, HSBC launched its global marketing campaign with the slogan "Assume Nothing." A well-crafted phrase, until it was mistranslated in several markets as "Do Nothing."

 






Overnight, it suggested inaction instead of security. 

The result? A costly rebrand effort reportedly totaling $10 million. 

When miscommunication costs millions

But branding isn’t the only area under threat. Just one mistranslated medical term changed a young man’s life, and it cost $71 million.

In 1980, 18-year-old Willie Ramirez was admitted to a Florida hospital in a coma. His Spanish-speaking family said he was "intoxicado", meaning food poisoning – not intoxicated. Yet, the bilingual staff interpreted it as “intoxicated,” and Ramirez received delayed treatment for a brain hemorrhage. He became quadriplegic, and the hospital settled the lawsuit for $71 million. 


These examples aren’t just embarrassing, they’re a hard reminder: mistranslation isn’t a joke. It threatens reputation, health, and trust at scales both large and devastating.

Other famous (and expensive) translation fails

  • KFC in China: “Finger-lickin’ good” became “Eat your fingers off.”


  • Pepsi in China: “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” translated poorly to “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”


  • Ford in Belgium: “Every car has a high-quality body” was misconstrued as “Every car has a high-quality corpse.”





These are more than funny anecdotes, the costs of miscommunication are real.

AI translations that catch yourself before you slip

Imagine if HSBC or that hospital had access to a modern translation workflow like MachineTranslation.com. It’s not just another translator, it’s an AI translator that boosts accuracy with intelligence.

Here’s how it helps:


Aggregates insights across engines - Google Translate, Claude, Gemini, and more share side-by-side outputs giving teams choices and context.


Offers real-time quality scores - Spot weird or risky translations before they go live.

Provides context-aware suggestions - Its AI Translation Agent asks smart questions that can adapt tone, terminology, and formality to your specific use case – whether that’s branding, contracts, or pedagogy.

In essence, it’s your translation co-pilot. It doesn’t just translate, it helps you avoid “Assume Nothing” turning into “Do Nothing.”

Why this AI translator matters today

Every day, teams handle large, complex, or sensitive documents. This AI translator brings essential guardrails:

  • Marketers catch tone mismatches before slogans backfire.

  • Legal teams ensure clauses translate accurately, every time.

  • Educators move entire curricula into other languages without losing voice or meaning.

  • Medical and healthcare professionals reduce risk, one word can change outcomes.

With real-time AI support, you avoid million-dollar mistakes before they happen.

The bottom line

Mistranslations don’t always cost millions, but they can derail your message, your brand, or even someone’s health when assumptions go unchecked.

MachineTranslation.com helps you stay accurate, contextual, and safe – every step of the way.

Ready to see it in action?

Go to MachineTranslation.com and:

  • Upload a DOC, DOCX, or open PDF.

  • Preview the first 3,000 words.

  • Download the full translation, formatted and accurate.

Testing is free – and avoids $71 million mistakes.