Creative translation safe from AI? Longevity in the industry as a whole? Thread poster: Tara Wood
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I am a native speaker of English with a degree in German and Creative Writing and almost 10 years of work experience in Germany using German as the primary working language. Translation has long been a great passion of mine, and I've assembled a portfolio of my voluntary pieces. I am considering pursuing the DiplTrans, but I've not yet started to translate professionally and have concerns about the future of the industry.
It seems that most generic and none-specialist work in the ma... See more I am a native speaker of English with a degree in German and Creative Writing and almost 10 years of work experience in Germany using German as the primary working language. Translation has long been a great passion of mine, and I've assembled a portfolio of my voluntary pieces. I am considering pursuing the DiplTrans, but I've not yet started to translate professionally and have concerns about the future of the industry.
It seems that most generic and none-specialist work in the major language pairs will be done by AI (machine translation) within the 10 years, requiring post-editing at best. Translators who specialise in certain professional fields (law, medicine, finance) or niche subjects will still have work.
I have no experience in any major professional field, and as I only have one language pair (DE > EN), I'm wondering whether it may be wiser for me to cut my losses and train in something other than translation.
I had thought of specialising in translation areas involving a creative element, such as transcreation or copywriting, given my degree in Creative Writing.
Although I have seen previous posts stating that the creative areas of translation will continue to require the human touch, recent AI software (ChatGPT, Bard etc) is already excellent at producing creative content and will no doubt continue to make advances in this area. The recent Writers' Guild strikes in the US, railing against the rapid adoption of AI in screenwriting and the drastic rate reductions that this has caused, point to this kind of future.
These advancements make me increasingly doubtful that creative translation will continue to be a "safe" area for human translators.
As I don't already have several years' professional translation experience or a professional specialism, is it wise to even begin in this industry and invest in translation qualifications? I don't expect to make a large salary of the kind that many translators may have enjoyed 20–30 years ago. I would simply be looking to make ends meet and earn a full-time living.
However, I fear it may be a race against the clock to pursue a career as AI continues to improve. I fear that a stable income from translation may not be viable, considering I only have one (reasonably common) language pair and no specialism from a desirable industry.
I am more than happy to focus on post-editing, provided that there will be enough work to make ends meet. To work as a translator was always my dream, however, I am now in my early 30s and don't have the time to invest in years of education and improvement, only to find that I am unable to support myself financially at the end of it.
Am I being too pessimistic, or am I right to be concerned?
Thoughts about the prospects that new translators face would be appreciated! ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Always follow your dream | Jul 1, 2023 |
Hello,
You're not being too pessimistic and you have full right to concern. The industry is going through a crisis and it's really important that you know and be fully aware of this.
However if you are willing to accept some post-editing jobs as a compromise, and ready to send your CV to EVERY translation firma on earth, you will pay the rent and enjoy your life more than those who followed only their fears. Be aware of every danger, but go on following your dreams and... See more Hello,
You're not being too pessimistic and you have full right to concern. The industry is going through a crisis and it's really important that you know and be fully aware of this.
However if you are willing to accept some post-editing jobs as a compromise, and ready to send your CV to EVERY translation firma on earth, you will pay the rent and enjoy your life more than those who followed only their fears. Be aware of every danger, but go on following your dreams and what your heart says. You'll never know where it's going to lead you, but there is no better guide on earth for you.
Mach gut und viel Erfolg,
Marie-France Phaneuf ▲ Collapse
| | | | Thayenga 
Germany
Local time: 10:33
Member (2009)
English to German
+ ...
| A dream and reality | Jul 1, 2023 |
It is always good to follow your dream for it might come true.
With a degree in Creative Writing you can do other things than "just" translations. You can go into copywriting, teaching, or creating your own texts, then try to sell them to advertising agencies or publishers/producers.
With AI constantly gaining ground not only in the translation industry, it is always good to have more than one leg to stand... See more It is always good to follow your dream for it might come true.
With a degree in Creative Writing you can do other things than "just" translations. You can go into copywriting, teaching, or creating your own texts, then try to sell them to advertising agencies or publishers/producers.
With AI constantly gaining ground not only in the translation industry, it is always good to have more than one leg to stand on, especially when you have not yet established yourself in any particular field. Long gone are the days when translations were done with the use of a typewriter and hardcover dictionaries. The changed environment in the translation industry makes it a little more difficult to establish oneself. However, if you are flexible and willing to take on MTPE jobs, you can still make a living.
Only you can figure out your options and chances of making it, but you will never know if you give up too soon. ▲ Collapse
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You’ve already seen the split here between those who embrace AI and those who abhor it, those who feel threatened and those who feel safe.
Bottom line of course is nobody knows what will happen.
I am a relatively creative and specialised translator and extremely good at what I do (modest too), but I am pessimistic about surviving on translation five years from now.
But if you’re happy to do MTPE, aka swallow your own tail, then go for it. Copy editors w... See more You’ve already seen the split here between those who embrace AI and those who abhor it, those who feel threatened and those who feel safe.
Bottom line of course is nobody knows what will happen.
I am a relatively creative and specialised translator and extremely good at what I do (modest too), but I am pessimistic about surviving on translation five years from now.
But if you’re happy to do MTPE, aka swallow your own tail, then go for it. Copy editors will always be needed; all authors and journalists have them. It’s just not for me.
But I would start alongside a proper job if I were you. ▲ Collapse
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Tony Keily
Local time: 10:33
Italian to English
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| You've made a start! | Jul 2, 2023 |
First of all, this is the most open and insightful post on the looming effects of AI that I've read to date.
On the question of investing in a future in translation, my advice is to look elsewhere. If the recent past has taught us anything, it's that the future doesn't lie in feeding TMs that will only come back to bite us as MT. Maybe if you weren't at the start of your career, I'd tell you something less drastic, but the downside risks are just too big.
The reason yo... See more First of all, this is the most open and insightful post on the looming effects of AI that I've read to date.
On the question of investing in a future in translation, my advice is to look elsewhere. If the recent past has taught us anything, it's that the future doesn't lie in feeding TMs that will only come back to bite us as MT. Maybe if you weren't at the start of your career, I'd tell you something less drastic, but the downside risks are just too big.
The reason your post seems important is that you openly admit your concerns that AI will rip through the 'creative industries' (especially at our precarious and informal end), not sparing areas like copywriting, publishing, journalism and screenwriting. And then you ask for help in looking for solutions. I think we need more of this candid and open collective discussion.
In doing this you do the polar opposite of following the play-book dictated to us in recent years whereby we're all little entrepreneurs who have accepted the burden of positive self-representation even in our AFK lives, because, hey, we're always on call. We use social media and forums to talk up a storm about how indispensable we plan to stay, or how, no matter what, our plucky resolve and native optimism will see us through, while others lacking our grit flounder all around us.
But when you get a tsunami warning, you don't look around for surfing lessons (although of course, unlike tsunamis, there's nothing accidental or natural about this technological wave). You look for high ground.
I think some of our higher ground might be based on face-to-face interactions. In your case I won't presume to offer solutions, but maybe you could combine teaching with your other skills and conduct TSL discussion groups on literature or screenwriting. Analyse the Breaking Bad pilot script. Better than MTPE any day of the week!
[Edited at 2023-07-02 09:44 GMT]
[Edited at 2023-07-02 09:58 GMT]
[Edited at 2023-07-02 11:31 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 10:33
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
| Pessimism/optimism | Jul 3, 2023 |
Tara Wood wrote:
It seems that most generic and none-specialist work in the major language pairs will be done by AI (machine translation) within the 10 years, requiring post-editing at best. Translators who specialise in certain professional fields (law, medicine, finance) or niche subjects will still have work.
I'm afraid I will add to the pessimism, but the three mentioned fields are already very well assisted by machine translation. The machine translation obviously still need editing but it's a misunderstanding that MT is of no use at all in these fields.
My take: machine translation post-editing will become increasingly important in the coming years, but if you are willing to bite into it (while still offering conventional translation services) I'm sure it will still be possible to establish a professional career for many years to come.
| | | | Lieven Malaise
Belgium
Local time: 10:33
Member (2020)
French to Dutch
+ ...
Tara Wood wrote:
I have no experience in any major professional field, and as I only have one language pair (DE > EN), I'm wondering whether it may be wiser for me to cut my losses and train in something other than translation.
To be honest, the fact that you have only one language pair might be a bigger concern. I'm not sure I would get the work volume I get now with only one pair.
| | | | Kay Denney
France
Local time: 10:33
French to English
I work in a creative niche, mainly in the arts, working for museums, record labels and artists with their own website, and for companies that appreciate my creative flair in their press releases.
I'm quite happy with how things are going for the moment, even as the summer seems to be shaping up to be quite calm, because I earned too much money last year and will have to change my status and hire an accountant if I smash through the ceiling for my current status a second year running.
... See more I work in a creative niche, mainly in the arts, working for museums, record labels and artists with their own website, and for companies that appreciate my creative flair in their press releases.
I'm quite happy with how things are going for the moment, even as the summer seems to be shaping up to be quite calm, because I earned too much money last year and will have to change my status and hire an accountant if I smash through the ceiling for my current status a second year running.
However, I'm twice your age and only have a few more years to go before retirement. I'm in a comfortable situation, with a fully-paid house, children now grown up and earning their own living, and I do have other possible streams of income. If I were your age, I wouldn't bother trying to get into translation at all the way things are panning out. MTPE is soul-destroying and gives me migraines compared to proofreading human translations. But maybe, being younger and a different person altogether, you might not have the same reaction to it.
Whether clients will be prepared to pay you a decent amount for the work involved, is of course another thing to take into account. I've seen some sweatshop rates here, which would probably mean you'll be earning less than minimum wage, or working so hard you wouldn't have any mental energy left over to be able to tap into your creative flair.
Sorry to be so pessimistic. ▲ Collapse
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Lingua 5B
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 10:33
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
A while ago a client requested help (copywriting, formatting, creative direction) saying how they tried all available AI tools and none yielded results they wanted. I rejected it because their budget was too low. They wanted a human but don’t have money for it.
[Edited at 2023-07-03 14:35 GMT]
| | | | Chris Spurgin
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:33
Member (2016)
Russian to English
+ ...
| Nobody knows so keep your options open | Jul 4, 2023 |
Nobody knows what the exact impact of AI will be. Best to keep your options open and think of your transferable skills.
[Edited at 2023-07-04 12:01 GMT]
| | | | | Keep your options open | Jul 5, 2023 |
Tara Wood wrote:
I have no experience in any major professional field, and as I only have one language pair (DE > EN), I'm wondering whether it may be wiser for me to cut my losses and train in something other than translation.
This is the wiser option. Train in something more versatile and get a full-time job that pays the billls before dipping into the world of freelance translation. Even in the best case scenarios, it can take months or years to establish a freelance career that pays a living wage when starting out, and you don't want desperation to drive you into a corner.
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