The “Newcomers’ Fair” took place on the first day, and covered career development and training, the use of AI and other technologies, project management skills, and soft skills, among other topics.
The first keynote speech was delivered by Anthony Pym, from the Rovira i Virgili University in Tarragona, Spain. In an interesting presentation, Pym highlighted the many positive sides of automation, but also expressed concern regarding overreliance on AI.
Key Takeaways from TEF Panels
TEF 2024 included several panel discussions. A scene-setting panel on the first day centered around the transformative impact of AI on the language industry and the enduring value of human expertise.
A youth panel discussed the translation industry from the perspective of professionals under the age of 35, while two EU-centered panels looked into translation capacity building in EU candidate countries, rapid developments in generative AI, digital autonomy, and technical sovereignty in the region.
Some common themes emerged, such as the importance of language experts like translators and terminologists in essential tasks. Quality assurance, linguistic diversity, and nuanced language were some of the areas frequently mentioned in speeches and questions. Many participants also highlighted the need for language professionals to acquire new skills continuously and redefine their value proposition.
The importance of terminology was highlighted in several sessions, with panelists agreeing that it is a vital part of translation, language data management, AI-driven language tools, and basically all language-related work.
“LLMs Just Average Language Choices Made Before”
Marina Pantcheva of RWS Group delivered a very engaging second keynote speech, in which she went over several things that large language models (LLMs) can and cannot do well, emphasizing the need for linguists to guide the immense power of AI.
Pantcheva noted the remarkable efficiency of humans compared to LLMs. As she aptly put it, “LLMs just average the language choices that other writers have made before them, so basically they’re going for the least interesting choice … They lack persistent memory so they do not remember what they responded to your prompt yesterday.”
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AI was a recurrent theme throughout the conference and other speakers addressed its role in language services as well. Many of the presenters emphasized the need to see AI as a tool to assist language experts rather than replace them, while addressing concerns about quality, bias, and the potential displacement of human workers.
A few presenters stressed the need for collaboration between different stakeholders in the language industry, to exchange ideas and tackle challenges such as ensuring an ethical and responsible use of AI in language technology.
Christos Ellinides, Director-General for Translation at DGT, delivered the closing remarks, praising the critical thinking and strategic foresight that marked the presentations and discussions. “We must unlock our innovative potential. This will be key not only to lead in new technology, but also to integrate AI into our existing industries, so that they can stay at the front … so that they can be competitive,” said Ellinides.
Those interested in learning more can find all TEF 2024 presentations on the Translating for Europe YouTube channel.
