The Guardian Article: Is the Era of Artificial Speech Translation Upon Us?

This week, The Guardian published their latest contribution to a debate that has surrounded the translation industry for years: is technology making human translators obsolete? The article focuses specifically on advancements in artificial speech technologies like the new Google Home interpreting function and Waverly Labs’ Pilot earpiece, which can translate two users’ conversations in real time or translate speech in a single user’s surroundings.  Despite their potential for application in a wide variety of personal and professional settings, it is clear that these devices are far from providing a substitute for real-life translators. As writer Marek Kohn concludes,

“When machine translation becomes a ubiquitous commodity product, human language skills will command a premium. The person who has a language in their head will always have the advantage over somebody who relies on a device, in the same way that somebody with a head for figures has the advantage over somebody who has to reach for a calculator. Though the practical need for a lingua franca will diminish, the social value of sharing one will persist. And software will never be a substitute for the subtle but vital understanding that comes with knowledge of a language. That knowledge will always be needed to pick the nuances from the noise.”

Read the full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/17/is-the-era-of-artificial-speech-translation-upon-us

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