AI Coming For Translator Jobs? This CEO Says Humans Won't Be Needed For Translation 'Except...Most Difficult Use Cases' In 3 Years

Unbabel, a startup based in Lisbon, has introduced a new AI-powered translation service called Widn.AI. The company’s CEO, Vasco Pedro, predicts that human translators might become obsolete within the next three years.

What Happened: The Widn.AI service utilizes Unbabel’s proprietary large language model, Tower, which can handle translations in 32 different languages. Pedro shared these insights during an interview at the Web Summit in Lisbon, highlighting the advancements in AI since Unbabel was founded a decade ago, CNBC reported on Wednesday.

Initially, Unbabel’s approach combined AI with human editors for translations. However, Pedro now believes AI can manage most translation tasks independently, “except for really the … most difficult use cases,” and is nearing full capability.

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Despite a potential decline in revenue per translated word, Pedro anticipates that an increase in the volume of translated content will drive growth. Unbabel is currently seeking $20 million to $50 million in funding to further develop and expand Widn.AI.

Why It Matters: The launch of Widn.AI and Pedro’s bold prediction comes amid ongoing debates about the impact of AI on employment. Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley billionaire, recently forecasted that AI could replace a significant portion of human jobs over the next 25 years. He suggested that AI might perform 80% of tasks in 80% of jobs, including roles like primary care doctors and assembly line workers.

However, Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, has downplayed the threat of AI-induced unemployment. Altman encourages the next generation to embrace AI technology, believing that while some jobs may change, new opportunities will arise. This optimistic view contrasts with Khosla’s warning that workers might not be able to upgrade their skills to avoid job losses.

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Image via GoodFon/ Gottlib

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari