A singular(ity) preoccupation
Alan K. Melby, Daryl R. Hague · American Translators Association scholarly monograph series · 2019
Some futurists predict that machines will soon – that is, by the time the “Singularity” arrives – replace human translators. Whether that prediction is accurate or not, translator trainers must prepare students to enter a profession in which machine translation plays an increasingly important role. This paper argues that modern translation students must prepare themselves to also be language-services advisors (LSAs). LSAs recommend translation solutions before a project reaches a project manager. Based upon project specifications, LSAs recommend solutions along a spectrum ranging from unedited machine translation to professional human translation. Translator trainers must help students gain the knowledge necessary to be effective LSAs. Students who master the LSA role will be successful regardless of the evolution of “neural” networks and artificial intelligence.