AI in interpreting: Ethical considerations

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies have impacted on the language mediation market with the spread of machine translation (MT) and the creation of sub-tasks such as text preparation for translation and post-editing. Up until this time, the impact of machine interpretation on the interpretation profession cannot be felt to the same extent as that of MT on the translation profession. Technological advances, however, have not come to an end and nowadays fully-automated machine interpretation and AI-based computer assisted interpreting (CAI) tools are increasingly common in the interpreting profession. However, the use of AI and big data in interpreting raises several ethical questions in terms of data protection and confidentiality. The earliest references to MT date back to the 1930s. Despite this long history ethical considerations in MT have rarely been discussed in Translation Studies, and to our knowledge, they have not been discussed at all in Interpreting Studies. This article first examines how AI can be used in interpreting as well as the various tools already available, then discusses the ethical considerations raised by the use of AI in general and in interpreting in particular.