Lost in translation: AI’s impact on translators and foreign language skills | Daniele DuscovichRecently, I've read the article "Lost in translation: AI’s impact on translators and foreign language skills" by Carl Benedikt Frey and Pedro Llanos-Paredes. Here, the discussion raised in CEPR - Centre for Economic Policy Research on AI and translation resonates strongly with my recent research on literary translation and intercultural competence.
📄 In my study "Intercultural Competence and Translation Quality:
Evaluating AI and Human Literary Translations" (soon to be published in the journal "Punto y Coma" of Universidad del Sagrado Corazón), I compared human and AI translations using an adapted MQM framework, focusing not only on accuracy but also on style, cultural transfer, and interpretation.
👉 The key point: AI is highly effective at reproducing general meaning, but it still struggles with what matters most in complex texts, which is figurative language, stylistic nuance and cultural and ideological depth.
This aligns with the article’s concern about the evolving role of translators. However, the issue is not simply “replacement”: it is redefinition.
🔍 My findings suggest that AI (even advanced models) tends toward stylistic flattening. Moreover, cultural meaning is often preserved only at a surface level and human translators remain essential for interpretative and intercultural mediation.
💡 Rather than reducing the need for language skills, AI is shifting the focus toward higher-level competencies, such as critical interpretation, intercultural awareness and strategic decision-making
The conclusion 📌 is that AI will transform translation workflows, but it does not eliminate the need for expertise. It "just" raises the threshold of what expertise means.
What do you think? Let me know and feel free to share!
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#AI #TranslationStudies #InterculturalCompetence #MachineTranslation #LanguageSkills #DigitalTransformation #HumanAI #Linguistics #Research #Innovation
👉 Here is the article: https://lnkd.in/dtnRTMwk #ai #academia #research #highereducation #innovation #ethics #generativeai | Daniele Duscovich📚🤖 How should we really think about AI in academia?
After diving into "Using AI in Academic Writing and Research" by Eldar Haber, Dariusz Jemielniak, Artur ✨ Kurasiński, and Aleksandra Przegalinska, edited by Palgrave Macmillan, one thing is clear: AI is not just a tool - it’s reshaping the very nature of research and knowledge production.
💡 The key insight?
AI doesn’t replace scholars - it augments them. From literature reviews to hypothesis generation, it accelerates workflows while demanding even stronger critical thinking and ethical awareness
⚖️ But here’s the real challenge:
As generative AI becomes embedded in academic practice, the focus shifts from “Can we use it?” to “How do we use it responsibly?”
🔍 Transparency, 🧠 Intellectual integrity, 📊 Validation of outputs - they are no longer optional—they’re foundational.
🚀 We are entering a phase where human-AI collaboration defines academic excellence. The real competitive advantage? Not using AI blindly—but using it critically, ethically, and strategically.
Curious to know how you answer to an important question: 👉 Is academia adapting fast enough to this transformation?
Feel free to tell me what you think and feel free to share.
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#AI #Academia #Research #HigherEducation #Innovation #Ethics #GenerativeAI Review | Daniele Duscovich📚✨ New publication — and a conversation starter!
Here you can find my book review of "Self-Care, Translation Professionalization, and the Translator’s Ethical Agency: Ethics of Epimeleia" Heautou by Abderrahman Boukhaffa, edited by Routledge Taylor & Francis Group.
This work offers a rigorous and thought-provoking re-examination of translation ethics, questioning codified professional norms and foregrounding the importance of individual ethical agency. 💭 Particularly compelling is its use of Foucauldian “care of the self” as an alternative way to think about translators’ responsibility and autonomy.
As a PhD Candidate, working on AI applied to translation 🤖🌐, I found the book especially relevant for reflecting on current transformations in the field and the evolving role of the translator.
In my review, I engage with the book’s key arguments, contributions, and limitations — including issues of professionalisation, moral responsibility, and implications for contemporary practice.
I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts, perspectives, or related work 👇
Let’s discuss!
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#TranslationStudies #AI #TranslationTechnology #BookReview #TranslationEthics #Professionalisation #AIinTranslation #PhDResearch #Academia #PhD 
