AI Treading on EU Translators’ Heels
Do you fear losing your job because of AI? You certainly should be.
Some fear Artificial Intelligence (AI) because it can destroy humanity. For others, it’s a good old matter of income.
It pertains to the individuals within the Brussels bubble, a commonly used term for those who work as employees of the various EU institutions situated in Belgium’s city.
According to fresh insights by Politico Europe, high-tech machines that work with Eurocratic jargon are already posing a genuine threat to those willing to work as high-level translators. As a result, one of the largest and oldest departments among the multilingual Brussels institutions has already been downsized significantly: by 17% over the last decade due to the use of machine translation.
As an international organization, the EU is obliged to translate all the paperwork into 24 languages, which leads to a greater workload.
Hence, the automation of processes becomes essential, as highlighted by Markus Foti, a seasoned translator and the head of the Commission's machine translation division, who emphasizes that technology brings about time savings.
But that is hardly comforting for young translators who say it is extremely challenging to enter the institutions and secure employment.
Though the article doesn’t mention ChatGPT, there’s a good chance it will further aggravate the situation.
Still, according to the authors, only some things are doom and gloom for aspiring professionals. For all its upsides, technology still is far from perfect. Accordingly, the translators still need to carry out sensitive tasks as they are ultimately responsible for the results, spotting mistakes and handling important speeches that cannot be leaked.
The translators openly acknowledge their preparedness for AI's dominance in the industry, as their role now primarily involves post-editing or transcreating content to tailor messages for specific target audiences.
Gagarin News is keeping its finger on the pulse of AI events. In March 2023, American bank Goldman Sachs estimated that 300 million jobs could be lost in the workforce in the United States and Europe due to AI.
Previously, we reported on advancements in regulating AI in the EU.
