Over the past few years, there has been a hasty upsurge in the number of people traveling from one country to another, be it for work-purpose or just with the intention of discovering a new place.
So, when you travel to another land, with entirely diverse culture and language, the prerequisite to find a translator rises multiple times, isn’t it?
But, what if you get to know that instead of a human, there is soon going to be a robot that would be your translator? Yes, you read it right.
The advanced technology is now bestowing us with a humanoid robot, which is a robot built under the guise of a human body. In simple words, a humanoid robot will look like a human, with two legs, two arms, a head, a torso, but won’t be a human in reality.
Such robots are being designed to interact with the environment and human tools just for the experimental basis.
Amazed, aren’t you?
Let’s find out how these humanoid robots are going to bring a revolution in the translation industry.
The 21st century is the Robots Era
Let’s admit it – somewhere in our lives, we all have coveted to possess a robot, isn’t it? Undeniably, the demand for robots is truly factual. According to some statistics, by the end of this decade, the global market for robots would cost around $152 billion. The innovation, as well as the development of the Artificial Intelligence, will move on vigorously in the coming years. This, in return, can have a huge impact on several industries, including translation. Moreover, the translating occupation has already been mentioned in the list of top jobs that are probable to be replaced by the AI very soon.
Despite all the speculations, not in a human form, technology is still being used in the translation industry and is popularly known as Machine Translation. Some of the programs, such as Microsoft Translator and Google Translate, are easily available and can be used in several cases.
However, it is also true that such programs are lagging in comparison with a human translator. While these AI-based programs can translate some words and sentences seamlessly, they fail to do so when it comes to idioms, jokes, distinctions, and suggestions.
To put an end to such problems, there has been an increasing trend to get machine translation with post-editing services. The concept includes a human translator to check whether the information provided by the machine is correct or not. This type of practice is said to be cheaper than a human translating from the scratch. Hence, it is anticipated that such service might replace low-cost translation services.
Humans need to defend their jobs
The robotic automation technology has already spread its wings in several domains, such as construction, manufacturing, retail, travel industries, and more. On the top of that, lately, there has been a report issued by Leisurejobs.com stating that this technology is likely to set its foot in almost every major industry. By 2035, it will replace approximately 47% of the human force.
According to this research, people who are working as telemarketers, cashier, administrative assistants, translators, and receptions may feel a run for their job soon.
While it is believed that initially, it will be difficult to take up a robot, considering its high-prices, however, in the long-run, everything will pay off. Since a human translator tends to fall sick & take leaves or work till a limited number of hours, such would not be the problems with a humanoid robot. Hence, the employer would have to invest only once and then he can even ward off the monthly salary that was allotted for a human translator.
While there is no denying the fact that AI might soon take away a handful of jobs, however, the major point that not many people are talking about here is that AI will even confer us with a huge number of jobs as well. As mentioned above, since AI cannot handle everything in the translation industry, therefore, the need of a human translator would be always there to handle those things that AI mess up with.
Why Translation industry?
Considering the advantages that machine learning is bringing along, the translation industry is thriving. Not just that, but because of internet reaching every corner of the world, even marketing and localization sectors are contemplating to get their hands on translations.
On the top of that, tools like image and voice recognition are even making it easier for people to translate seamlessly. Not just that, but Google’s Word Lens can even translate a document or signs just in a matter of seconds.
Since the entrepreneurs are expanding their businesses into foreign terrains, the demand to translate the digital text would be even higher. And yet again, AI is far behind when it comes to competing with humans to translate subtly, despite the machine learning tools making the process simpler.
With companies associating with cross-border customers, the need to translate the content will not be subsiding.
As far as the AI taking the place of a human translator is concerned, then it is more likely to be another way around. No, the human force would not be able to overpower the machine learning, but the advanced technology may end up creating more jobs.
Just like back in 18th century, during the industrial revolution, there was a prevailing thought that steam and machine engines would take away the bread and butter of workers. However, on the contrary, the machine actually created more jobs for weavers. Hence, same can be the situation in the translation industry as well if the machine learning would take-over the work.
Human translators are still needed
Although the machine translation is coming up with a better and efficient work-process, however, the technology is still producing obscure results. In comparison with a human translation, the machine translation is lagging drastically. Despite the predictions of AI replacing human translators, those who seek nothing, but accurate results are going to face major disappointment if relied solely on machine learning. Therefore, the need of a proofreader and an editor will never be going away.
And then, marketing sector, in terms of translation, will also expand. Services like content writing and copywriting are most likely to grow as well. Another skill that linguists can add to their portfolio is video editing. With the internet being accessible on smartphones, the demand for attractive visual media will also increase.
So, in the end, while we can conclude that machine learning or Artificial Intelligence will rule the translation industry, however, more jobs for workers are anticipated as well. In the most amazing way, AI is here to enhance the way humans interact with each other. If considering it with a progressive point of view, then instead of competing, humanoid robots may simply transform the living beings into human-computers.
It would be great to see how this revolution will bring efficiency in the world.
