Cinepros® - Media Localization & Accessibility reposted this
The AI Stigma and Why I’m Hopeful for the Future of Audio/Visual Translation In March of this year, I read a Washington Post article that included an infographic showing a scatter plot of various careers. The X axis indicated how vulnerable that career is to AI. The Y axis indicated how adaptable the career is. Wouldn’t you know it, “Interpreters & Translators” was at the bottom-right of the plot – meaning most vulnerable to AI and least adaptable. This was disheartening to read. However, I’ve noticed a new trend occurring. The prefix of “AI” (e.g. AI translation, AI marketing, AI-generated images) has taken on a stigma. When “AI” is attached to a task or industry, it has become synonymous with “banal,” “cheap,” and a way to cut corners. Nowhere is this stigma more applicable than in the world of subtitling and translation. Case in point: Have you ever received an email that was clearly written by AI? As digital citizens, we’ve grown to spot this type of thing. How has that affected your perception of the sender? If you’re like me, it’s made me question the earnestness of the message. This same distrust can apply to subtitles. It takes just one subtitle (a “showstopper”) to plant a seed of doubt in the viewer – and ultimately cheapens the whole viewing experience. AI as a tool has transformed the way we all work. It has led to greater efficiency and improved productivity. However, AI as a solution has led to subpar quality at a cheaper price. Meanwhile, there are professionals being replaced by inferior solutions with no accountability. Over the past year, the AI revolution has been jarring, particularly to those most vulnerable. However, I’ve recently grown more optimistic. This stigma that has formed has given producers and creatives a reason for pause. The AI solution has gradually become the more dubious option, or colloquially, the “Temu version.” Personally, I think the stigma is well warranted.