That is entirely your choice. However, unless you hold an unusually strong position in a highly specialized niche, you are likely already seeing a drop in work volume—and that trend will only accelerate. This is not because translation volumes are drying up, but because the exploding amount of new content does not require a “silver spoon” approach, and cost pressures for “good enough” alternatives are fierce.
Having said that, you do not have to settle for the maximum-automation, race-to-the-bottom MTPE pushed by mega-agencies, either. By adapting to premium MTPE workflows with boutique LSPs, you can still earn adequately, keep your foot in the door for the full-human premium jobs you prefer, and actively improve your own productivity using modern AI tools. This can be a satisfying and profitable niche, one that becomes even more rewarding the more technically skilled and adaptable you are willing to be.
Most importantly, the market desperately needs your expertise to combat the rising tide of “machine speak.” Mega-agencies are pushing rates so low that they are effectively locking out human expertise and excellence, leaving them wholly dependent on undifferentiated automation. But large language models are plateauing. Under the current technological paradigm, no amount of automation can achieve parity with a veteran translator who has spent decades honing their craft. Their race to the bottom is a vicious circle of mediocrity.
If veteran translators abandon the middle of the market, our boutique LSP partners will wither, leaving us entirely dependent on those mega-agencies (or on brand-new direct client approaches that take many of us way outside our skillsets). The middle of the translation market will hollow out, clients will have fewer choices, and the overall quality of translated content will plummet.
Instead, this plateau in AI capability leaves a huge opportunity for those of us who care about human excellence. By bridging the gap between automated efficiency and true human expertise, we can carve out a segment of the market where we do not just survive, but thrive. I strongly encourage you to partner with LSPs offering a premium MTPE process so we can build a healthy, human-driven future together.
