Ethics

Key themes emerging from the group discussions

Changing industry landscape

The discussion highlighted significant concerns about the evolving nature of the translation and interpreting industry:

• A perceived trend of diminishing freelance work and low / lower rates
• A shift from human translation to machine translation post-editing (MTPE)
• The impact of AI and machine translation on traditional workflows
• Concerns about the long-term viability of freelance translation as a career.

Industry structure and power dynamics

Participants noted several structural issues within the industry:

• Complexity of the supply chain and its impact on pricing and transparency
• Perceived power imbalance between freelancers, agencies, and clients
• Challenge of long payment terms, often exceeding 30 days
• Lack of transparency about pricing and rates
• Absence of common benchmarks for pricing across the industry.

Pricing and value

Several groups touched on issues related to pricing and demonstrating value:

• Concerns about the commoditisation of professional translation
• The need to move away from per-word rates towards hourly or project-based pricing
• The importance of value-based pricing and articulating to clients the added value of using professional translators
• Suggestions for itemising work in quotes to show the full scope of services.

Client education and awareness

A recurring theme was the need to educate clients about the value of professional translation:

• Educate clients about the limitations of machine translation, especially for creative content
• Inform clients about the risks of unedited machine translation output
• Demonstrate the impact of high-quality translation through case studies
• Explain the differences between post-editing, proofreading, and full translation.

Industry representation and advocacy

Participants discussed ways to strengthen the position of translators and interpreters:

• Be more proactive in lobbying for the profession at industry events
• Suggestions for inviting non-linguists to translation events to increase their understanding of the value of professional translators
• Potential for regulation of the language professions?
• Ideas for increasing translator visibility, such as including translator credits in work.

Professional development and adaptation

Several points were raised about how translators can adapt to the changing landscape:

• The importance of specialisation, particularly in areas less susceptible to AI replacement
• Suggestions for adding additional skills to your CV, such as in post-editing or creative translation
• The need for business skills workshops covering topics like client outreach and lead generation
• The potential for collaborating with other translators to offer higher quality services.

Ethical considerations

Several ethical considerations emerged:

• The need for sustainable work practices and fair compensation
• Discussions around what constitutes “ethical pricing” and “well-paid work”
• Suggestions for ITI to establish ethical criteria for Corporate members
• The potential for translation agencies to pursue B-Corp certification.

Recommendations and next steps:

1. Work with agencies and stakeholders to increase transparency in the industry, particularly around pricing and the supply chain.
2. Consider developing an industry-wide initiative to promote ethical sourcing and fair working conditions throughout the supply chain (while recognising that the Competitions and Markets Authority places restrictions on what professional bodies in the UK are allowed to say about rates).
3. Create resources to help translators and interpreters articulate their value to clients, including case studies demonstrating the impact of high-quality language services.
4. Explore ways to increase client-facing advocacy, including participating in business events and inviting key stakeholders to language-sector events.
5. Provide more support for business skills development, potentially through training or mentoring programmes.
6. Support members to adapt to new technologies and changing market conditions, including providing advice on specialisation and diversification strategies.

The next steps might involve further consultation with members, research into best practices from other industries, and the drafting of specific ethical guidelines based on the themes identified in this discussion.

Key themes emerging from the group discussions

Responsibility for environmental harms

The discussions highlighted the complexity of attributing responsibility for the environmental impact of neural machine translation (NMT) and large language models (LLMs):

• There was a consensus that responsibility should be shared among various stakeholders, but determining the extent of each party's responsibility is challenging.
• Some participants suggested that those profiting most from these technologies should bear greater responsibility.
• The role of large tech companies in presenting these tools as harmless was criticised.
• Freelancers and translation agencies were seen as being in a difficult position, often pressured to use AI due to client demands.

Awareness and education

Participants noted varying levels of awareness about the ecological impact of AI technologies in the translation and interpreting industry:

• There was a general feeling that awareness is improving but not yet widespread.
• The need for increased education was emphasised, not just for professionals but also for translation and interpreting trainees.
• Suggestions were made to engage with mainstream media to raise awareness beyond the industry.
• The importance of educating clients about the environmental costs of AI was highlighted, though some noted the potential challenges in doing so.

Moving from awareness to action

Several ideas were proposed for transitioning from awareness to concrete actions:

• Professional associations like ITI were seen as having a crucial role in facilitating this transition.
• Suggestions included providing resources for members, such as fact sheets and templates for action plans.
• The idea of developing a formal charter for freelancers was mentioned.
• Some participants advocated for lobbying governments for AI regulation.
• Creating groups to monitor AI-translated content and lodge complaints was proposed.

Promoting environmental sustainability

Discussions touched on various ways the translation and interpreting industry impacts the environment beyond AI use:

• The environmental footprint of home office setups was noted, including energy use and digital footprints.
• International travel for interpreting assignments was identified as a significant factor.
• Participants suggested actions such as digital decluttering, using ethical banks, and switching to sustainable energy providers.
• The role of professional associations in promoting sustainability was emphasised, including leading by example and publicising their own environmental targets.

Recommendations and next steps

1. Collate information about the environmental impact of AI technologies in translation and interpreting, to be shared with members and clients.
2. Create resources to help members communicate effectively with clients about the environmental costs and benefits of different translation methods.
3. Explore partnerships with environmental experts to provide carbon literacy training for members.
4. Consider developing an industry-wide charter or set of principles for environmental sustainability in language services.
5. Investigate ways to engage with media and participate in broader discussions about AI and environmental sustainability.
6. Provide practical advice for members on reducing their individual environmental impact, including office setups and digital practices.
7. Collaborate with other professional bodies and stakeholders to advocate for environmentally responsible practices across the industry.

The next steps might involve forming working groups to develop these initiatives, conducting further research into best practices, and consulting with environmental experts to ensure the effectiveness of proposed actions.

Key themes emerging from the group discussions

Data protection and privacy

The discussion highlighted significant concerns about protecting translators' data and work:

• Difficulties in maintaining copyright rigour and gaining acknowledgment for translators
• Challenges in 'tagging' text to ensure original translators are recognised
• Suggestions for implementing measures in contracts to protect data
• Concerns about loss of control over data, especially when working with agencies
• Ideas for tracking and calculating input to platforms with appropriate remuneration

Technology and cost reduction

Participants discussed the impact of technology on costs and quality:

• Concerns about short-sighted use of technology purely as a cost-cutting measure
• Observations about questionable practices amongst agencies with machine translation (MT), though some improvement noted recently
• Recognition that some agencies prioritise profit over quality, while others are more community-focused
• Discussion of the variable shelf-life of translated content, depending on the market segment
• Examples of poor-quality MT output being used for important documents, potentially risking credibility and trust

Translator satisfaction and motivation

Several points were raised about the importance of satisfied and motivated translators:

• Recognition that some agencies and companies show little concern for translator satisfaction
• Importance of establishing trust, maintaining respectful communication, and offering meaningful rewards
• Value of building relationships between project managers and translators
• Positive impact of receiving thanks and testimonials from clients and agencies
• Role of associations like ITI and CIOL in improving translator satisfaction and motivation
• Differences noted in how various countries' professional bodies approach translator welfare

Sustainable use of AI

Participants explored ways to work with AI sustainably:

• Suggestions for using AI for specific tasks like terminology extraction or research
• Importance of disciplined use of AI, avoiding inputting full texts into large language models (LLMs)
• Concerns about data security, even with paid versions of AI tools
• Discussion about the environmental impact of AI use and the need for responsible usage
• Debate over whether translators use AI due to pressure or convenience

Client education and demonstrating value

A recurring theme was the need to educate clients about the value of professional human translation:

• Suggestions for proactive statements to clients about the quality of human translation
• Ideas for using emails and websites to showcase the added value of human translation
• Reference to examples of comparing MT output with human translations to demonstrate value

Industry challenges and ethics

Several ethical and industry-wide challenges were discussed:

• Concerns about the commoditisation of translation services
• Questions about the long-term viability of freelance translation as a career
• Discussion of the need for regulation or guidelines in AI use for translation
• Debate over the role of professional associations in addressing these challenges

Recommendations and next steps

1. Develop guidelines for data protection and copyright acknowledgment in translation projects, particularly when working with agencies or using AI tools.
2. Create resources to help translators articulate the value of human translation to clients, including case studies and comparison examples.
3. Explore ways to promote ethical and sustainable use of AI in translation, possibly through the development of best practice guidelines.
4. Consider initiatives to improve translator satisfaction and motivation, potentially through collaboration between agencies, clients, and professional associations.
5. Provide training to help translators understand how to effectively and ethically integrate AI tools into their workflow.
6. Engage with technology providers and agencies to promote the development of AI tools that complement rather than replace human translators.

The next steps might involve further consultation with members, research into emerging AI technologies and their impact on the translation industry, and drafting of specific ethical guidelines for AI use in translation based on the themes identified in this discussion.

The slides from the presentation given by Dr Beverley Costa DPsych, UKCP approved supervisor, MBACP are available below and contain many links to useful resources.

Click to view this PDF online

Beverley also wrote an article - Bare Necessities - arguing that training, supervision and support should not be luxuries in mental heath interpreting for our ITI Bulletin in 2011.

Click to view this PDF online

Comparing the article and the PowerPoint slides offers a perspective on how the situation has changed since the article was written:

• Practitioners in health and social care have received more training (not enough admittedly) about working effectively with interpreters
• Some NGOs (that work with interpreters to provide support for their LEP clients) are now including a budget for support with interpreters' self care into their successful funding bids
• Reflective practice, rather than clinical supervision, is now suggested, by the author of the article, as a useful model for facilitated interpreter support

It would be interesting to know if colleagues have observed any other changes. Please share your thoughts with us.

ITI published a postition statement on vicarious trauma in interpreters in 2021.

09 Jul 2021

Position statement on vicarious trauma in interpreters

Policy, Interpreting, Wellbeing

Professor Charlotte Bosseaux is interested in the ethical role played by translation when transmitting the experience of trauma and GBV survivors and in the way translators cope with the translation of challenging sensitive material.

Her recent project - The Ethical Demands of Translating Gender-Based Violence - considered this topic in detail and attempted to establish which translation methods or strategies are the most ethical when translating audiovisual personal narratives. The project also aimed to provide good practice guidelines for translators, translation companies, filmmakers and charities.

The suite of guidelines are available on the University of Edinburgh website. Professor Bosseaux welcomes feedback from users.

The project also generated a film called Surviving Translation, which takes an in-depth look at the ethics of translation – focusing specifically on the traumatic experiences of female migrants. Starting with Charlotte Bosseaux’s research, film director, cinematographer and editor, Ling Lee, alongside Charlotte who co-created the film, captured intimate conversations with migrants and language professionals – weaving these together with poetic and evocative imagery to create an informative and moving study on this unexamined subject.

Key themes emerging from the group discussions

1. Lack of awareness and support

- Managers often lack understanding of trauma and how to handle it in audiovisual translation contexts

- There is generally little to no support provided for dealing with traumatic content

- Professionals often have to deal with trauma intuitively, without formal guidance

2. Challenges in the industry

- Unpredictability of content and variety of topics can lead to unexpected exposure to traumatic material

- Productivity pressures and tight deadlines can impact the quality of output

- Existing guidelines and technical restrictions can limit the ability to implement changes or improvements

3. Cultural and linguistic considerations

- Cultural diversity awareness is lacking in some management contexts

- Translating sensitive topics like gender-based violence requires specific cultural and linguistic support

4. Mental health and well-being

- There is a need for mental health support tailored to translators and subtitlers

- Isolation in the job, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated mental health challenges

- Informal support networks, such as group chats between colleagues, are quite effective and the closest thing to support available for most members

5. Ethical considerations

- Balancing neutrality with representation of diverse experiences is challenging

- Questions arise about the extent to which subtitles can create a complete experience for viewers with hearing impairments

Action points and suggestions

1. Develop training programmes for managers and language professionals on dealing with traumatic content and distressed individuals

2. Create industry-wide guidelines for well-being and self-care in translation and interpreting professions

3. Implement policies for flagging potentially traumatic content and assigning work accordingly

4. Explore ways to provide linguistic and cultural support for translators working on sensitive topics

5. Investigate the feasibility of implementing more flexible subtitling guidelines to better represent diverse experiences

6. Raise awareness within the industry about the challenges faced by audiovisual translators and subtitlers

Questions raised

1. How can we balance the need for comprehensive subtitles with existing time and technical constraints?

2. To what extent can subtitles create an equivalent experience for viewers with hearing impairments?

3. How can we improve the visibility and respect for translators, interpreters, and subtitlers in the industry?

4. What are the best ways to provide mental health support for professionals in this field?

5. How can we encourage more research and funding for projects focused on supporting translators and subtitlers?