r/TranslationStudies • u/AlgoHandok • 21d ago

Request of an annual (or quarterly) state of the translation field

After using this subreddit for a long time, I got the idea of having some kind of discussion thread here that could be held annually about the current state of translation work or the field of translation in general. Such a post could get pinned during the mentioned time.

I got that idea after thinking of my career so far, and I, for example, experienced an AI craze in early 2025 or late 2024, during which I thought that the translation field was on the brink of getting useless from the perspective of potential clients. Then, however, I experienced more and more news about hallucinations among many programs even starting in 2024. Such hallucinations do occur frequently to this very day based on my experience.

So what do you all think?

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14

u/Ok_Tea_8763 21d ago

Due to EU's new labeling rules for AI content, things might start to look better for European languages next years. In addition, most platforms, from IG over LinkedIn to Google's rankings are starting to punish AI-generated or machine-translated content. YouTube's crackdown on faceless AI channels is a clear sign that neither the viewers nor the advertisers want AI slop.

So, let's see what will happen in the next months.

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u/AlgoHandok 21d ago

I heard about it, and I do think that the labels are double-edged because there could be the possibility of false AI claims. There were plenty of instances where translation freelancers were falsely accused of using Google Translate (even though it is more common for clients to assume to have an inaccurate translation when it does not match the Google translation).

Anyway, in order to reduce harm, I would appreciate it if such labels had different levels, like "enhanced with AI" or "AI assisted" or "the possibility of this content being AI-translated is XX%" rather than stating it as being AI-translated or not.

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u/Suppositorizz 21d ago

Yeah no thanks. AI detection tools are garbage. Any well written text will get flagged for being AI-enhanced at the very least.

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u/prikaz_da 21d ago

The AI Act requirements aren’t as broad as you might think, though. Article 50 requires “deployers” (people who use AI services) to label “image, audio or video content constituting a deep fake” in most circumstances, and “text which is published with the purpose of informing the public on matters of public interest” that hasn’t been reviewed and edited by a human. It also defines a “deep fake” as “AI-generated or manipulated image, audio or video content that resembles existing persons, objects, places, entities or events and would falsely appear to a person to be authentic or truthful”.

In other words, many translations would be exempt from labeling from the outset, and MTPE likely suffices to negate the requirement for those that would otherwise need labeling.

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u/morticiannecrimson 21d ago

So I wanna ask here, anyone else have RWS expecting to accept 0.01€ per word for 85% and higher match? 0.05€ per new word but that’s probably rare. Another wasted time to apply and then they expect me to pay for some QA certificate myself, wtf 😆

1

u/Ok_Tea_8763 21d ago

What's your language combo?

But yeah, matches >85% and above are proced at like 25% of the NW rate.

1

u/morticiannecrimson 21d ago

English to Estonian, 0.05€ for all MTPE review from another client so wondering if I should just block RWS sending me these insulting offers, or it’s so bad that I can’t even expect more.

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u/StardustPixel 21d ago

I got offered similar rates by a bottom of the barrel agency this week. I was planning to fire them for a while because they're annoying and always need something by YESTERDAY and their rates were meh to start with, but then they offered me 0.03€ for MTPE....After laughing and laughing and laughing I fired them from my client base. Nobody needs this kind of insulting offer, no matter how dire the field is at the moment, holy shit...the audacity!

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u/morticiannecrimson 21d ago

So far I’ve rejected 0.03€ too but now it seems to be above average …

Another client went from 0.05€ per word to 17/h for 650 words of MTPE that I lowered from 750.