Like most everyone else involved in language service, you’re probably hearing footsteps from artificial intelligence interpretation and translation tools and wonder how they may alter your work. For a look at the current state of AI in translation, and related near-future issues, download this report, Current Usage, Sentiment,and Future Expectations of AI Among Language Service Providers and Remote Interpreters, from the firm boostlingo.

Among the pros of AI assistance noted in the report:

• quickly identify and provide new terms during live interpretation sessions
• clarify spoken content when clients/patients have heavy accents or use slang expressions
• search quickly for appropriate medical terms.

And a few of the cons:

• sometimes questionable accuracy
• the need for careful post-processing checks
• the learning curve can slow down productivity at first
• providers don’t trust it as a replacement and see AI use as complementary to human expertise.

The bottom line: 

The blend of human expertise and AI capabilities can result in hybrid models where AI handles volume and speed, while humans ensure quality and cultural relevance… By positioning AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement, the industry can harness its potential without sidelining human professionals.