Someone asked me recently how AI is going to impact the future of translation. That got me thinking about something that’s been bothering me for a while now.
Have you noticed who headlines too many of our translator events? It’s often someone from a major MT company, an industry “think tank”, or one of those giant LSPs with a team of engineers working on ways to replace us. They then tell us how translation is going to be handled in the future and that we just have to get on board.
I don’t think there’s just one valid narrative here; there are two.
They’ve got theirs. But we can write our own, one that puts real people in charge of Generative AI to produce better translations, faster. We can push the supply and demand curves in our favor and open up new markets with greater quality and efficiency.
Here are three practical tips for how we, as freelance translators, can reclaim our part of the AI narrative:
1. Question the status quo
If the message you’re hearing is all about how AI will automate translation and leave human translators somewhere “in the loop”, consider who’s saying it. Is it someone with a vested interest in reducing translation costs and increasing automation? Probably. It’s time we stop letting the Localization Illuminati set the agenda for everyone.
2. Build your own AI expertise
You don’t have to rely on what the big players tell you. With the right frameworks and methodology, you can test, experiment, and guide the AI to follow your voice and standards. Don’t just accept what the tools spit out—command the AI and shape it to serve your purpose.
3. Look for translators who are doing it differently
There’s a growing movement of translators using generative AI to boost quality and efficiency. They’re not waiting to be replaced; they’re upgrading their workflows.
I’m one of them.
Let’s be clear: we have a choice. Either we let the industry automate us into irrelevance… or we lead with creativity, skill, and smarter tools.
We need our own narrative—and it starts with how we use AI today.