Trade continuity is not up for sudden vanishing come tomorrow morning.
Is AI Taking Over the Translation World? A Canadian Viewpoint
Don't fancy reading a lengthy report? ChatGPT's popularity for translation tasks is soaring, making daily tasks easier, but what's the impact on translation contracts and the profession itself?
translation programs at the University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University in British Columbia have been suspended or shut down. The Translation Bureau of Public Services and Procurement Canada, meanwhile, is keeping mum, awaiting the new minister. Critics have slammed this move as an attack on French speakers' rights.
Artificial intelligence, despite being useful, isn't perfect. It primarily uses English data, which may reproduce stereotypes, taint French texts with English, and show decreased performance in specialized domains, critics argue.
Patrick Drouin, director of the linguistics and translation department at the University of Montreal, admits that persuading new translators is a tough task these days. Enrollments have dropped at the University of Montreal, with 202 first-year students in 2022 compared to 244 in 2019-2020.
Translators, however, aren't out of a job yet. They have a heavier workload as employers expect AI to speed up the translation process. In the interpretation sector, there's a shortage, with high demand expected, especially for major events like the G7 summit.
The translation industry has embraced AI, but not without caution. Artificial intelligence is not a new tool for translators; they were the first to use its early forms. These tools ease tedious work and allow professionals to focus on more complex documents.
Artificial intelligence isn't going to eliminate the translation profession overnight. It's still very much in demand, particularly for legal texts, financial documents, and texts related to medicine or pharmaceuticals. In some cases, AI can facilitate translators' work, but in many cases, human oversight is essential due to data confidentiality requirements, especially in sectors like finance and pharmaceuticals.
Despite the hype, the translation industry remains a human endeavor, focusing on nuances, idiomatic expressions, and cultural subtleties that AI systems often struggle with. AI and human translators work together, with AI handling bulk translations and humans refining the content for accuracy and cultural relevance.
The University of Ottawa's decision to suspend its translation and interpretation programs seems unrelated to AI. Instead, the university wants to focus on professional-oriented programs leading to certification in 18 months. On the other hand, the University of Laval plans to create a new graduate-level microprogram in interpretation to meet the high demand for interpreters.
- Translation programs in Canadian universities, like the University of Ottawa and Simon Fraser University, are facing changes, with some suspending or shutting down, potentially impacting career opportunities in French translation.
- While AI is making inroads in the field of personal-finance and business, the need for human translators, especially in sectors such as finance and pharmaceuticals where data confidentiality requires human oversight, remains high.
- The University of Ottawa is shifting its focus to professional-oriented programs leading to certification in 18 months, suggesting a possible emphasis on career development and self-improvement in fields like education and self-development.
- In contrast, the University of Laval is planning to create a new graduate-level program in interpretation, indicating a growing demand for advanced skills in technology-related areas like artificial intelligence and its application in areas like business, education, and art.
