I have also been following machine translation, as a former professional translator and currently an academic supervising research on the use of machine translation in language education.
For some real-world applications, MT can get the job done while saving a lot of time and money, though the users must understand its weaknesses.
I did my own comparison now of Japanese-to-English translation by LingvaNex, DeepL, Google Translate, and Bing Translator. For this particular excerpt from a newspaper article, DeepL wins hands down.
Input text: 新型コロナウイルスの感染者の確認を受けて厳しい地域封鎖が実施されてきた北朝鮮で、5月下旬から平壌を含む各地の封鎖が徐々に緩和されていることが、北朝鮮の事情を知りうる複数の関係者の話でわかった。食料不足の中、封鎖の長期化で「死活問題」の農作業の人手が足りなくなることを避けたり、梅雨や台風の季節を前に必要な土木工事を終わらせたりする狙いがあるという。(Source: https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASQ615V30Q50UHBI02G.html)
LingvaNex: North Korea has been under severe regional blockade following confirmation of new coronavirus infected people, and the blockade of all areas including Pyongyang has been gradually eased since late 5. I found it in the story of several people who know the situation. There is a aim to avoid the lack of labor for agricultural work on the "vulinary problem" due to prolonged blockade in the midst of food shortages, and to end the necessary civil engineering work before the rainy season and typhoon season.
DeepL: North Korea, which has been under a strict regional blockade following the confirmation of a person infected with a new type of coronavirus, has gradually eased its blockade in various areas, including Pyongyang, since late May, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation in North Korea. It is said that the aim is to avoid a shortage of manpower for "life-and-death" farm work due to the prolonged blockade amid food shortages, and to finish necessary civil engineering work before the rainy season and typhoon season.
Google Translate: It is possible to know the situation in North Korea that the blockades in various parts of the country, including Pyongyang, have been gradually eased since late May in North Korea, which has been severely blocked after being confirmed as infected with the new coronavirus. I learned from the stories of multiple parties. In the midst of food shortages, the aim is to avoid running out of labor for the "life and death problem" due to the prolonged blockade, and to finish the necessary civil engineering work before the rainy season and typhoon season.
Bing Translator: North Korea, which has been in place since the confirmation of a new coronavirus case and has been implementing a strict regional lockdown, has gradually eased its lockdown in various parts of the country, including Pyongyang, since late May, according to several people familiar with the situation in North Korea. Amid food shortages, the aim is to avoid a shortage of workers for agricultural work due to the "life-or-death problem" due to the prolonged lockdown, and to finish necessary civil engineering work ahead of the rainy season and typhoon seasons.