How Can Translators Navigate the AI Era? A Critical Posthumanist Approach to Human-Machine Roles
What is it about?
AI translation tools like ChatGPT and DeepL are transforming how translation gets done, raising urgent questions about what role human translators will play in the future. This paper explores these questions through the lens of posthumanism — a philosophical framework that rethinks the relationship between humans and technology. I outline three branches of posthumanism (reactive, transhumanist, and critical) and show how each connects to different attitudes toward translation technology: resisting it, using it to enhance human abilities, or recognizing AI as a co-participant in the translation process. I argue that the third approach — critical posthumanism — offers the most productive path forward, and I propose the "Round Table Hypothesis," which envisions future translation as a collaborative meeting where human translators, AI tools, clients, and other agents all sit at the same table, contributing to the task with different but equally important roles.
Why is it important?
The translation industry is changing rapidly, yet most discussions about AI in translation remain either overly optimistic or deeply anxious. This paper offers a middle path grounded in philosophy. It is among the first to systematically connect the three main branches of posthumanism to translation studies, providing a theoretical map that was previously missing. The "Round Table Hypothesis" gives translators and educators a concrete framework for rethinking professional identity, training curricula, and human-AI collaboration. At a time when translators are being asked to work alongside increasingly capable AI, this paper argues that developing communication skills with AI, evaluating which tools to use, and embracing interdisciplinary knowledge (such as computer science and marketing) are no longer optional — they are essential competencies for the next generation of translation professionals.