social beesocial bee

AI & Refugees community support

An AI-powered tool that streamlines
the translation of legal documents for refugees

Translate and simplify intricate legal texts in a matter of seconds

2023

The refugee crisis is a pressing issue that requires efficient and effective responses to aid millions of individuals who have been forced to leave their homes. Providing humanitarian assistance and creating pathways towards a secure and stable future are crucial in this regard. However, navigating legal systems can be quite challenging, especially for those who face linguistic and cultural barriers. In such situations, the NGO Social Bee steps in to provide support.

Social Bee, based in Munich, Germany, is an organisation that helps refugees and migrants find verified and legal employment as they start their new lives in a country. The process of entering the job market requires significant volunteer effort, particularly in translating and preparing necessary documents.

In June 2023, our team took part in Hack To The Rescue – the first Generative AI hackathon with a mission to optimise critical processes for NGOs. After competing against 40 other tech companies, the team developed a solution that optimally addressed the challenges defined by Social Bee. Read on to discover how Miquido developed the world’s first Generative AI-based tool that translates and simplifies intricate legal texts in a matter of seconds.

socialbee mockup

1st prize

Hack To The Rescue

32 hours

for the MVP

40

teams competing

Challenges

Cultural sensitivity and context

Legal documents often contain specific terms and concepts not directly translatable to other languages. After reviewing the documentation provided by Social Bee, the Miquido team quickly realised that their tool needed to recognise and adapt to cultural nuances. The AI-based application was meant to act as a bridge between refugees and their assistants or law enforcement services in Germany. Therefore, the team had to ensure that translated content retains its intended legal meaning and context.

Optimal performance and responsiveness

Firstly, a dedicated translation tool must perfectly balance the legal intricacies with user-friendly simplicity. Secondly, real-time translation is crucial for time-sensitive legal procedures. Therefore, the team prioritised creating a solution that’s intuitive, easy to use, and accessible to all. Finally, our experts also considered scalability to ensure that refugees have uninterrupted access to vital legal documents during peak usage times.

Language diversity and accuracy

Legal documents are known for their formal language, which can be challenging for those who come from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Accurate translation of these documents is crucial, and it can be a difficult task since it requires handling multiple languages while maintaining high precision and accuracy. To ensure that the translations are reliable and easy to understand, the team had to consider several factors, such as dialects, technical legal terms, and cultural nuances.

socialbee challenge

Solutions

socialbee solutionssocialbee solutions

Product Design Process

Refining the product idea based on user needs

The high-level objective was clear: to develop an AI-powered tool that could aid in the translation of legal documents for refugees. However, our team was determined to create a solution that would perfectly cater to the needs of primary users, filling an existing market gap. To achieve this, we followed a simplified product design process, which included conducting competitive research and analysing our target group’s motivations and pain points. Through this process, we discovered that the product’s success would rely on providing professional assistance with legal matters, helping to overcome language barriers, and offering support in understanding complex information and documents.

socialbee processsocialbee process

Proto-Personas

persona adin

Adin

32 years old student, who needs to get his university degree get recognised in the country he just have entered. Also, as a refugee, he needs to know which authorities and what documents he needs to get work permit to be able to earn a living.

persona sofia

Sofia

28 year old volunteer, who wants to support every newcomer in the country and provide help related to formal procedures, communication and documentation.

Proof of Concept Approach

Cost-efficient validation of technical solutions

To ensure that the product development plan adhered to technical constraints and the timeline, we utilised a Proof of Concept approach. Firstly, we used a customer journey framework to design a smooth end-to-end user experience while identifying improvement areas. Then, the team employed the ICE growth strategy framework to simplify the product and align its requirements with the hackathon’s tight schedule.

This framework helped us evaluate the different functions of the product based on cost, technical complexity, and user value. In the end, the team was able to identify the most impactful features, determine the final product scope, and deliver the project right on time, with the potential for further scaling.

socialbee poc

AI Development

Creating a GPT-3.5-powered chatbot and a translator 

As part of our collaboration with Social Bee, our team developed two products: an online translation tool and a chatbot that helps users understand complex legal concepts. Both products were powered by GPT-3.5 integrations, which allowed for human-like responses and natural language understanding. The chatbot was designed using prompt engineering techniques and acts as a personal advisor to help users understand legal complexities, answer specific questions, and keep track of inquiries and responses. This feature is especially valuable for refugees facing time constraints and stress, as it enables them to receive prompt, professional assistance or revisit their case. Overall, both tools proved extremely helpful for providing accurate legal information to those who need it.

socialbee mockup
socialbee desktop

Results

Scalable Proof of Concept

At a hackathon, the team showcased a Proof of Concept that includes crucial AI-powered features. By utilising the OpenAI API and integrating with GPT-3.5, the tool can easily convert PDF files into easy-to-understand documents and provides plain German-English translations, as well as valuable summaries of intricate legal documents. 

Open access tool that is cheap to maintain

Miquido has developed a Proof of Concept that is designed to evolve dynamically in future iterations. The team plans to include additional features such as document download, sharing, text-to-speech functionality, account management, and document validation in the upcoming product development stages. Initial users, including Social Bee volunteers and refugees, will soon evaluate our Generative AI solution. But even now, it is clear that a simple tool based on the open access software, created within just two days, shows unprecedented potential in optimising internal operations.

Accessibility across web and mobile platforms

When creating digital products for broad audiences, ensuring accessibility is crucial. The solution provided by Miquido offers versatile accessibility features such as text enlargement, light and dark modes, and keyword highlighting. Furthermore, the tool has been adapted for both web and mobile platforms.

socialbee results

Want to talk about your project?

Aleksandra Latoń

Hi, I’m Aleksandra from Miquido. Fill in the form to the right and I’ll get in touch with you shortly!

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