The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2024 - 17

The Question of
Sustainability
Concerns about the
sustainability of the
profession have been raised
in the current discourse
surrounding neural machine
translation (NMT) and
particularly GenAI. However,
the focus in this discourse
is rather narrow, as it often
centers on the fear of job
replacement. Three scenarios
unfold in this context.
The first scenario suggests
that language automation
doesn't pose a serious threat:
the output quality of MT and
GenAI is and will remain too
weak. Proponents of this view
often provide examples of
blunders found in automatic
translations. There's no
doubt in their minds:
language professionals are
indispensable.
The second scenario paints
a picture of impending
doom, suggesting that
the translation profession
is teetering on the edge
of extinction. Despite a
reported decline in demand,
especially for English as a
source or target language, it's
unlikely that translation and
interpreting expertise will
become completely obsolete
in the near future. However,
this fear persists among
many language professionals.
The third scenario
envisions a transformation
of the industry, where
technology becomes an
integral part of the daily work
of language professionals. In
this scenario, the profession
doesn't become obsolete
but undergoes significant
adaptation. Given recent
developments in the language
industry, this scenario seems
the most likely.
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Technology has already
been integrated into
workflows, with MT now
being a prevalent feature
in most computer-assisted
translation interfaces. The
evidence is there: translators
have been increasingly
focusing on post-editing
tasks for years now. While
this adaptability appears
reassuring on the surface,
the current discourse on the
profession's sustainability
often neglects an important
distinction: the focus should
be on " professionals " rather
than " the profession " as
an abstractum. Even if the
third scenario discussed
above materializes,
it remains uncertain
whether these changes will
ultimately benefit language
professionals in the long run.
Challenges to the
Sustainability and
Vibrancy of the Industry
To gain better insight into
the issue of sustainability,
we need to examine the
broader picture. A crucial
development in the labor
market, often overlooked
in both academic and
professional discourse, is
the general orientation of
employers and clients. In
many sectors, particularly in
the West, limited population
growth and increased
prosperity have led to a tight
labor market, giving rise to
what's known in business
and organizational studies
as the " war for talent. " 1
This
concept reflects the ongoing
competition for skilled
individuals due to a shortage
of qualified workers.
Although the war on talent
in the language industry may
not be as overt as in some
other sectors, observable
phenomena reminiscent
of this struggle have been
present in the past. Initially,
technologization intensified
the battle for qualified
personnel within the
language industry. Evidence
of this fervent quest for talent
is reflected in the coinage of
the term " skills gap. " 2
This
term became commonplace
as employers and clients
recognized the demand
for new skills in a rapidly
transforming, digitalizing,
and globalizing industry. In
recent years, however, a shift
seems to be occurring in the
orientation of employers
and clients in the Western
labor market that is heavily
influenced by automation
and technology. Employers
and clients are increasingly
seeking workers willing to
perform repetitive tasks at
lower wages.3
A parallel shift can
be witnessed in the
language industry. Despite
longstanding claims that
technology would automate
tedious and routine tasks,
creating more space for
the creative endeavors of
language professionals, the
demand for semi-automated
language services (e.g.,
post-editing) is on the
rise. Translation rates are
also plummeting, forcing
language professionals to
find ways to further increase
productivity with no real
prospect of the anticipated
creative boost.4
Needless
to say this evolution is
detrimental to the perceived
value of skilled labor in our
sector.
This is likely old news for
most language professionals.
The golden days of language
service provision have been
American Translators Association 17
While the pursuit
of productivity
gains is quite
understandable,
the relentless
march toward
technologization
brings unintended
consequences
for language
professionals
and the industry
at large.
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The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2024

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