To every translator feeling worn down by the noise,
Lately I’ve been struck by how many colleagues are caught in a strange kind of group-think.
Spend five minutes on LinkedIn and you’ll see it: AI is killing translation. Rates are collapsing. Clients only want MTPE. The sky is falling.
It’s easy to get sucked in. It’s loud. It’s constant. And when you’re already feeling uncertain, that echo chamber can start to feel like reality.
But here’s the truth: the fear is bigger than the facts.
A colleague I know was sure he’d lose out on work because of impossible client requirements. The assessment form they had to complete was loaded with questions about ISO certifications, data security, and disaster recovery plans. He was certain they’d be disqualified. Instead, they were approved.
That’s how it often goes. The “collapse” everyone is talking about isn’t as absolute as it sounds. Clients still need translation. Lots of it. But they want to know they’re getting reliability, consistency, and value.
And this is where too many translators are sabotaging themselves. Not because of AI. Not because of pricing. But because they’ve let the negative narrative crawl inside their heads.
When you believe the market is dead, you stop marketing. You stop reaching out. You stop positioning yourself. You stop building the efficient systems that make you faster and sharper. You freeze.
And that’s when the prediction becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
The reality? Translators who keep their heads up, keep marketing with calm persistence, and keep refining their workflows are still finding opportunities. In some cases, more than before. Because while others are stuck in panic mode, they’re out there making confident offers and winning work.
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: panic never gets you paid. Persistent action does.
Yes, AI is changing the industry. Yes, requirements can feel overwhelming. But the way through is not to retreat into the noise. It’s to stay steady, take control of your methods, and show up in the market with confidence.
If you want to see what this looks like in practice, I recommend watching Kaloyan’s interview. He walks through how he’s using CotranslatorAI, the GAIT workflow, and other techniques to face the market head-on and find the way through.
Here’s the link:
https://cotranslatorai.com/
Stay steady,
Steven