Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Translation Profession in Nigeria

Abstract

This study aims to explore the impact of AI on the translation profession with a focus on the social behavioral changes towards its practitioners, and the potential opportunities that AI presents for the future of translation in Nigeria. The study is based on the premise that human translators may lose their relevance, visibility, perception, consideration, and overall professional status before translator employers or clients due to the proliferation of AI tools in the Nigerian translation market. The objectives are to (1) determine the current place of human translators in Nigeria, (2) identify, analyze, and describe the impact of AI on the Nigerian translation market, and (3) identify emerging roles, skills, and competencies of this era and to propose adaptive measures to the stakeholders. The study draws data from observation, 52 questionnaires and 8 interviews administered to translators and clients backed up by the Theories of professionalization, AI job replacement theory, and de-professionalization theory. Findings revealed that the Nigerian translation market is transitioning into an AI-human collaboration as most organizations use AI to carry out their translations, pricing is now disorganized and unregulated as clients believetranslators get help from AI. Findings also showed that AI will not replace human translators as more organisations still employ human translators. The research thus recommends that translators must diversify their competencies in other fields to help them stay afloat, enhance their soft and technological skills, and create a specialized niche of expertise. On the other hand, to the other key players in the industry (the schools, NITI association, and policymakers) the study recommends a fruitful collaboration that will involve, reviewing the translator training curriculum to include present-day trends and promoting policies that will further regulate the market and use of AI tools.