Artificial Intelligence has moved from being a future promise to becoming a daily presence in our work as interpreters. Denying it would be naïve; embracing it without questioning it would be dangerous. As with any powerful tool, AI amplifies both our strengths and our vulnerabilities.
After more than 50 years interpreting for global leaders, Olympic athletes, scientists, and policymakers, I’m still asked a question that cuts to the core of our profession: Are interpreters just invisible messengers — or are we co-protagonists in the communication process?
In interpretation and translation, both accuracy and precision are essential.
Clear and precise language is crucial in conveying messages, building relationships, and facilitating international business.
The Day the World Went Silent: A Thought Experiment on a Future Without Human Interpreters
After more than five decades in this profession, I have learned that there is no single type of interpreter. We are a diverse community, yet we all share something in common: the desire to serve and the ability to turn emotions into words.
Is interpreting a calling? An addiction? A craft? A gift? A skill? Maybe it’s all of these. Or maybe it’s something that runs so deeply in us that we can’t imagine being anything else. When we step into the booth, we’re not just transmitting words—we’re lending our humanity to another voice.
After decades in booths across the globe, my answer remains the same: interpreters are made. But they must be born with a few key wires already in place.
In over 50 years of walking this fascinating and demanding path of conference interpreting, I have often heard a phrase that stayed with me: “This is a throat‑cut profession.” What does it mean?
One cognitive bias that we in the booth know all too well is the Dunning-Kruger Effect: the tendency for individuals with limited knowledge in a domain to overestimate their competence, while true experts often underestimate theirs. In interpreting, this psychological phenomenon is not just theoretical — it’s operational. And it has real-world consequences.
