| Stran v tématu: [1 2] > | Poll: "AI will free us from the mundane parts of our jobs, giving us more time to do creative work." Autor vlákna: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question ""AI will free us from the mundane parts of our jobs, giving us more time to do creative work."".
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| | | | Lieven Malaise 
Belgie
Local time: 05:39
Člen (2020)
francouzština -> nizozemština
+ ...
| For translation: not yet. | Mar 12 |
Recently I used the 30-day trial period for Gemini Enterprise Business. During that period I discovered the potential of integrating the complete translation process (research, terminological consistency, shaping the AI...) into 1 single environment. But the processing speed turned out to be really slow and at times unacceptably slow, to the extent all efficiency gains got lost.
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AI takes over the pleasant part, where an experienced translator works in a flow, and produces results with very few errors, but possibly some room for improvement at the first pass.
Checking through work like that is often a pleasure, at any rate for a second translator. I used to find good ideas for my own work while I admired neat solutions found by colleagues.
AI may not make more errors, but when it does, they seem harder to find. It does produce blunders, and sometimes f... See more AI takes over the pleasant part, where an experienced translator works in a flow, and produces results with very few errors, but possibly some room for improvement at the first pass.
Checking through work like that is often a pleasure, at any rate for a second translator. I used to find good ideas for my own work while I admired neat solutions found by colleagues.
AI may not make more errors, but when it does, they seem harder to find. It does produce blunders, and sometimes factual errors.
A simple 'Find the link at the bottom' was translated into Danish as 'Find the link at the bum'.
The focus is on a translation that is 'good enough', rather than the best possible. AI still has to be checked meticulously, but many people find reading the translation, checking the source and deciding whether it is 'good enough' far more tedious than straight translation. There is absolutely no guarantee that the result is better.
AI produces large quantities of smooth, correct, but mediochre text that may serve its purpose, but it is also very easy to forget!
You don't need AI for standard notices - a basic translation memory tool is fine for those! (Trados back in the days of Workbench, Wordfast and DejaVu etc.)
[Edited at 2026-03-12 14:41 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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... no technology change that supposedly frees humankind from routine or mundane or energy-sapping or boring work or any other kind of drudgery, be it the spinning jenny, the internal combustion engine, the pocket calculator or even personal computing, has ever led to a boom in creative work.
We just end up doing different drudgery in a different way.
What's worse with AI is the idea that it can be prompted to be "creative" for us. Freeing up yet more time for... what? Watchin... See more ... no technology change that supposedly frees humankind from routine or mundane or energy-sapping or boring work or any other kind of drudgery, be it the spinning jenny, the internal combustion engine, the pocket calculator or even personal computing, has ever led to a boom in creative work.
We just end up doing different drudgery in a different way.
What's worse with AI is the idea that it can be prompted to be "creative" for us. Freeing up yet more time for... what? Watching & reading other AI slop? Progress, eh. ▲ Collapse
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| AI tickles their bum | Mar 12 |
Christine Andersen wrote:
You don't need AI for standard notices - a basic translation memory tool is fine for those! (Trados back in the days of Workbench, Wordfast and DejaVu etc.)
But companies need to somehow integrate AI into their localisation workflow. They need those sweet, sweet metrics and KPIs that will make the C-suite and investors salivate.
[Edited at 2026-03-12 16:30 GMT]
| | | | Josephine Cassar
Malta
Local time: 05:39
Člen (2012)
angličtina -> maltština
+ ...
On the contrary, it kills my creativity. How can I be creative, even when I usually am, when it's taken over and left me with just trimmings? And I find having so much 'free' time at my disposal is worrying, instead of letting me be creative.
| | | | | There is nothing "mundane" in my job as a translator | Mar 12 |
If you talk about repetitive phrases or lists of numbers, a CAT tool is useful for that. But the pleasure of translating any kind of texts, with a good flow, and a nice human touch while researching and reading about so many topics, is not mundane at all, and I love it.
Not all translators do creative work.
[Edited at 2026-03-12 18:25 GMT]
| | | | Mario Chávez
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 23:39
angličtina -> španělština
+ ...
...is, of course, part of the mush of hype we've been hearing and reading about for the last few years from AI purveyors. Instead of America the beautiful (that anthem or song), I'd rename it America the gullible. Here in the United States there are more dumbbells who'd believe any fairy tale if it promises money than anywhere else on earth.
MC
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Over the years, I took care of all the mundane tasks I have to handle to be better at my job without the help of any AI tool. For over 40 years I have been doing that on my own slowly but free from hallucinations…
| | | | | | Sinan Güldal
Turecko
Local time: 06:39
angličtina -> turečtina
+ ...
| a missed opportunity | Mar 13 |
i'm very sorry that the luddites lost in the 19th century. could have solved the puzzle right there right then.
[Edited at 2026-03-13 12:54 GMT]
| | | | Khurram Shahzad
Pákistán
Local time: 08:39
Člen
angličtina -> urdština
+ ...
| Faster doesn’t mean freer | Mar 13 |
Technology rarely gives people more creative time. It usually just raises productivity expectations. AI may simply mean more output, not more creativity.
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Philip Lees
Řecko
Local time: 06:39
řečtina -> angličtina
Sigh. Here we go again.
AI will not "do" anything.
Some people will find ways of using AI that will help them be more creative. Others will not. And that's fine.
But let's stop pretending that AI is some kind of independent agent that's going to either liberate us, or destroy human society. The "AI-enabled future" depends on human decisions and human actions. I don't rule out the possibility that in the future there will be more advanced AIs, with conscious... See more Sigh. Here we go again.
AI will not "do" anything.
Some people will find ways of using AI that will help them be more creative. Others will not. And that's fine.
But let's stop pretending that AI is some kind of independent agent that's going to either liberate us, or destroy human society. The "AI-enabled future" depends on human decisions and human actions. I don't rule out the possibility that in the future there will be more advanced AIs, with consciousness and volition, but we're still a long way from that point.
Here's a relevant article about AI and creativity that I read earlier today:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/feb/25/chatgpt-writing-competition
The writer concludes: "Yes, I think my job is probably over. But a job is not the same as writing."
What he mentions in passing, but fails to emphasise, is that in both the writing assignments he describes, the prompt was created by a human being. The AI on its own would never have done any of this.
I think that's the most important thing to remember. ▲ Collapse
| | | | | OK, rephrase: Agencies are giving what they think are mundane jobs to AI, freeing us for ... what? | Mar 13 |
We don't make the decisions. There are bosses further up the chain who do, but the result is the same.
Call me a luddite, but I have read the guff that AI churns out in several contexts. Wordy and anonymous. Then they set AI to translate it into another language, and get even more gramatically correct blurb. Humans CAN do better!
I get very few real translation jobs these days, and one client sends AI-generated drafts to 'help' me. Luckily that client does not complain... See more We don't make the decisions. There are bosses further up the chain who do, but the result is the same.
Call me a luddite, but I have read the guff that AI churns out in several contexts. Wordy and anonymous. Then they set AI to translate it into another language, and get even more gramatically correct blurb. Humans CAN do better!
I get very few real translation jobs these days, and one client sends AI-generated drafts to 'help' me. Luckily that client does not complain when I ignore the suggestions, but then I am in fact paid for my human input.
I can live on my pension, but many colleagues have had to find other jobs. I hope they still find outlets for their creativity and colleagues who appreciate their personal contributions. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Chávez
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 23:39
angličtina -> španělština
+ ...
| Creativity has become another buzzword | Mar 13 |
Most of us have worked in the translation of marketing and sales texts. I enjoy marketing texts when they tell a story to persuade without insulting the intelligence of the reader or prospective customer.
Sadly, uber capitalism in America has trounced the old rules of marketing and it generates dumbed-down, condescending, postmodernist and plain stupid content.
Some words have become buzzwords, like creativity, innovation, authenticity, even introversion. I refuse to sp... See more Most of us have worked in the translation of marketing and sales texts. I enjoy marketing texts when they tell a story to persuade without insulting the intelligence of the reader or prospective customer.
Sadly, uber capitalism in America has trounced the old rules of marketing and it generates dumbed-down, condescending, postmodernist and plain stupid content.
Some words have become buzzwords, like creativity, innovation, authenticity, even introversion. I refuse to speak in today's marketing language.
MC
Khurram Shahzad wrote:
Technology rarely gives people more creative time. It usually just raises productivity expectations. AI may simply mean more output, not more creativity. ▲ Collapse
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