There is an ongoing debate about whether translation is still a relevant profession in the modern AI world or not. While many think that artificial intelligence may entirely replace human translation, I believe that this occupation is still indispensable in the 21st century because AI does not have the ability to understand subtle cultural details and contextual nuances that the human brain is able to grasp.
Two compelling arguments support the view that translators remain important today: AI cannot adapt texts appropriately, nor can it take responsibility for its actions. Modern technology is unable to understand the subtle nuances that people convey and be reliable and responsible for its actions. For instance, a phrase that is considered humorous in the source language may sound offensive when translated literally into the target language. Therefore, a professional translator can recognize the intended meaning of the phrase and adapt it to the target language. Moreover, human translators can review their decisions, explain them, and take responsibility for the ultimate consequences. Consequently, while AI can assist human translators, it cannot fully replace them due to its limitations in reliability and judgement.
Nevertheless, others believe that the translator’s role is unnecessary in the modern AI era due to its speed and cost-efficiency. While people require considerable time to process and translate everything into the target language, and expect salaries, artificial intelligence is capable of working at an incredibly high speed without payment. To illustrate, a translator needs time to comprehend the context and translate it, whereas AI is capable of doing it faster without a salary. As a result, employers may see no need to hire humans if AI can work faster without getting paid.
In summary, both perspectives have merit. While the idea that AI may fully replace human work in translation is plausible due to its speed and cost-efficiency, I believe that human translation cannot be entirely replaced by modern technology because of its reliability and accuracy.
