The technological turn in interpreting and its short-term implications
The field of interpreting is currently undergoing what I described in 2018 as a “Technological Turn,” a term highlighting the transformative impact of recent technological advancements on the profession. Until that time, interpreting had experienced relatively limited technological influence compared to other language-related fields, such as written translation. However, emerging developments in remote interpreting, computer-assisted interpreting, and machine interpreting were, so my prediction, poised to reshape the entire ecosystem of spoken language translation, and consequently also the interpreting profession. Just a few years later, while this claim is widely accepted, the insufficient degree of responsiveness to fast-paced technological innovation might indicate that full scope and implications of the impact are probably not yet fully appreciated.
In this talk, I will discuss how this prediction is materializing in real life and explore how current and anticipated technological advancements are poised to reshape the ecosystem over the next few years. Taking a purely technology-focused approach—rather than an economic or cognitive perspective—I will base my analysis on current research on fundamental and applied speech technology to help inferring a possible short-term scenario. I will argue the following:
- AI is expected to soon achieve a level of sophistication where most aspects of spoken communication, from a pragmatical perspective, will be replicable.
- Consequently, the delivery of interpreting services, both in casual and professional contexts, will no longer be the exclusive domain of humans.
- Even in a scenario where human and machine interpreting achieve similar performances, interpreters will not become obsolete. There are compelling reasons why professionals will continue to be the preferred choice for interpreting, at least in specific contexts and for specific types of interactions.
- While full automation progresses, AI holds significant untapped potential to support and enhance professional interpreters.
This presentation should stimulate different actors and possibly help rethinking the entire interpreting ecosystem.
From my upcoming talk at the Sorbonne-Nouvelle, Paris, February 14, 2025
Cite
Fantinuoli, C. (2025) “The Technological Turn in Interpreting and Its Short-Term Implications”. Colloque international. Nouvelles approches didactiques de la traduction et de l’interprétation, Knowledge Commons, 26 January. doi: 10.17613/w2asp-c2t87.