Session

This interactive workshop will incorporate AI into learning activities in innovative ways. Participants will discover what sets human translators apart from AI: our individuality, creativity, and uniquely human abilities as critical thinkers and intercultural mediators. We will also explore how collaboration with AI tools may nevertheless be useful in the translation process (from research to drafting and editing), provided that the human translator always maintains control. Rather than the ‘human in the loop’ analogy, we prefer the metaphor of the translator as the pilot, flying the plane. While a pilot makes use of advanced navigation systems and may switch to autopilot for sections of the journey, they are in control of the aircraft at all times and know how to manage risks that may arise. Would you travel in a plane without a pilot? Maybe we should ask our clients this question! This workshop combines a short introduction with the following interactive activities and discussion:

• ‘Two translations and an AI’: Can you spot the AI-generated translation? This activity uses a literary passage to discuss issues of style, creativity, and the uniquely human attribute of interpretation.

• AI as a slightly ‘drunk’ tutor: This activity demonstrates how AI can be used as a mentor to provide feedback on a draft translation. However, while some suggestions may be helpful, others may be a little bit off… Which do you agree with and disagree with, and why?

• Can AI transcreate? This activity uses tourism promotional texts which require significant cultural and linguistic adaptation. Can iterative prompting and post-editing of AI output assist the transcreation process, or would it be preferable to translate from scratch?