Will AI replace Interpreters and Translators?
Estimated risk score: 72 out of 100
High replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (53 to 91).
Translator? We score that job by hand: 87/100
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 17 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 27-3091.00 · Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 15 of its 17 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Refer to reference materials, such as dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and computerized terminology banks, as needed to ensure translation accuracy.
- Check translations of technical terms and terminology to ensure that they are accurate and remain consistent throughout translation revisions.
- Compile terminology and information to be used in translations, including technical terms such as those for legal or medical material.
- Listen to speakers' statements to determine meanings and to prepare translations, using electronic listening systems as necessary.
- Translate messages simultaneously or consecutively into specified languages, orally or by using hand signs, maintaining message content, context, and style as much as possible.
- Adapt software and accompanying technical documents to another language and culture.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 2 of its 17 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Follow ethical codes that protect the confidentiality of information.
- Travel with or guide tourists who speak another language.
What the job is
Interpret oral or sign language, or translate written text from one language into another.
Also called: Interpreter, Medical Interpreter, Sign Language Interpreter, Linguist, Farsi Linguist, ASL Interpreter, Deaf Interpreter, Russian Linguist.
Scored by hand
We score Translator (87) by hand: a related job, so the numbers can differ.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate