Should this fall be attributed to artificial intelligence? Partly no doubt. “But beware of preconceived ideas”however, warns Christine Michaux, dean of the faculty of translation and interpretation at the University of Mons.
Have you also noticed a drop in registrations in Mons over the years?
We have actually noticed a slight decrease over the past 4 or 5 years, which has now stabilized. It could be AI, but it’s difficult to say because we don’t really have a clear indicator of the phenomenon. In any case, we see more broadly in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation a disinterest in languages. There are fewer registrations in the modern languages and humanities sections, generally speaking.
gull We work much more today as guarantors of the quality and truth of what is carried out by artificial intelligence
Is AI a threat to the industry?
Not all of our graduate students go into translation or interpreting when they finish their course. On the contrary. Artificial intelligence therefore does not generally change their chances of finding a job.
For those who only wish to do translation, we see that the profession is evolving. But he didn’t wait for AI to do it. 40 years ago, we worked with a paper dictionary. Then, we evolved towards electronic dictionaries, then towards translation assistance tools with databases and memories. Today, with AI, the translator’s work is still there, even if it is different. We work much more today as guarantors of the quality and truth of what is carried out by artificial intelligence. The AI continues to make big mistakes; it handles numbers and nuances in the expression of speakers’ arguments very poorly, for example.
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How are you adapting the course of study to face these new challenges?
The program is systematically adapted to new tools, as has always been done in the past. In recent years, we have introduced into our courses not only the use of tools specific to translation and interpretation, but also artificial intelligence tools, including generative ones. Students are also trained in slightly different professions, such as the cultural adaptation of video games. We are also working on what we call post-editing, that is to say the revision by a human being of a translation produced by artificial intelligence. Since last year, we have also opened a specialization master’s degree in applied linguistics which is entirely dedicated to this question of the management of artificial intelligence by translators.
If I were to be judged in a court in China, I would not want artificial intelligence to translate my words
Is the profession of translator or interpreter doomed to disappear?
Everyman thinks so, but that’s not my opinion. Most of us don’t need translation on a daily basis. You just use your smartphone to translate a menu in a foreign country, for example. It’s really a plus, but it doesn’t at all replace the job of translator. But if tomorrow I were to be judged in a court in China, I would not want it to be artificial intelligence that translated my words. I preferred a professional translator. The profession is not set to disappear, but to evolve.
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How can we continue to attract new students in the future?
We must inform you about all the opportunities, because obtaining a diploma in translation opens a lot of doors. The professional integration rate of our students is very high. The particularity of studies in translation and interpretation is that you also develop an excellent command of French. Language experts are fully aware of the essential role they still play today alongside the machine, and not against the machine.
How many hours of study does it take to reach a C2 level in languages?
Language is not just a communication tool. It is clearly at the heart of the very identity of individuals. The fact of speaking someone else’s language not only allows you to communicate with them, but also to understand them, to have access to their culture. However, in a society where divisions are increasingly strong, learning languages can facilitate “living together”. Languages are more than never an important element.
