PGLS Pulse: May 2024
Hello everyone,
Welcome to the PGLS Pulse: your source of timely and thoughtful news about the language services industry.
Advancing AI Responsibly in the Language Services Industry
PGLS is committed to advancing AI responsibly in the language access field. AI in interpreting is exciting and adds value. Nevertheless, it is an amplifier and an accelerator, not a replacement for humans.
Expert oversight will ensure that expansion and adoption occur without harm to LEP individuals, families, and the greater communities who benefit from the service.
We support the Interpreting SAFE-AI Task Force’s objectives to set best practices and establish, disseminate, and promote industry-wide guidelines to ensure the use of AI in language interpreting is safe while acknowledging its limitations.
Industry News
SAFE-AI: Perceptions on Automated Interpreting
Only 10% of end-users fully trust automated interpreting from apps provided by organizations. This further drops to a mere 5% for free or low-cost solutions found in an app store.
Trust issues stem from concerns about losing vital information that could impact decisions, diagnosis, or subsequent actions — each of which has significant financial and human costs. Users also worry about data security, confidentiality, bias, and potential misuse of technology by vendors.
Since human knowledge and intuition can provide superior language accommodations for unexpected situations, trust in AI depends on proving its accuracy before widespread use.
In essence, many believe AI should complement rather than replace human interpreters, especially in high-stakes situations.
Read the full article here.
AI Will Transform Teaching and Learning. Let’s Get it Right.
In 2023, ChatGPT rapidly gained popularity, with 30% of college students utilizing it for assignments. This widespread adoption has prompted educators and school districts to grapple with effectively integrating AI into learning environments.
AI holds promise in education, offering opportunities such as personalized support for teachers, reshaping learning priorities for students, building judgment-free learning spaces, and enhancing the quality of learning and assessment.
Key themes from Stanford University's AI+Education Summit included leveraging AI to personalize feedback, develop skills, and enrich learning experiences, highlighting its potential to revolutionize education.
Read the full article here.
For Linguists
Responsible Use of AI: The Key Role of Non-English Linguists
Language specialists are crucial for ensuring the safe use and proper training of Large Language Models (LLMs), especially in spotting content that is harmful to non-English languages, which are underrepresented in Generative AI.
Their role extends beyond adapting and localizing content across diverse linguistic contexts to address limitations in AI models, such as hallucinations, domain expertise, and biases.
By flagging errors, rewriting responses, and ensuring language quality, linguists help improve the ethical use and effectiveness of AI technologies.
Read the full article here.
Arizona is Dealing with a Sign Language Interpreter Shortage
1.1 million Arizonans experience hearing loss and over 25,000 culturally deaf individuals heavily rely on ASL interpreters. However, the state only has 400 licensed interpreters, leaving deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to feel they do not have a voice in the community.
This shortage stems from limited awareness of interpreting as a career and inadequate training programs. The Arizona Commission of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, along with other stakeholders, is working to address this shortage through awareness campaigns, training programs, and research studies to understand and mitigate the impact on the deaf community in Arizona.
The ultimate goal is to increase awareness about the interpreter shortage issue and foster collaborative efforts to find sustainable solutions that ensure equal access to communication for all individuals in the deaf community.
Read the full article here.
Job Opportunities
We are always looking for talented language professionals. If you are a translator, interpreter, or language instructor, PGLS wants to work with you! Explore our open roles here.
PGLS News
- Join our upcoming webinar, "Beyond Buzzwords: Leveraging AI in eLearning Localization" hosted by Gilbert Segura and Joshua Sternlicht on May 29. Secure your spot here.
- Joshua Sternlicht attended the Learning and HR Tech Solutions conference in Orlando.
- Patrick Thomas secured the attendance of the FBI at SECAF's April Gov Con Member Networking reception.
- Piedmont Academy will be starting another virtual community interpreting course on May 21. Register for the course here.
- Check out our blog post to learn how Machine Translation Post-Editing (MTPE) ensures faster, consistent, and more accurate translations.
- Explore the Hmong history, culture, and language in our blog to learn how you can bridge language barriers to better serve the US Hmong community.
Careers
As a minority-owned business, we’re all about embracing diversity of thought and fostering a culture of innovation to break language barriers and promote equity. Believe you would be a good fit? Explore our current openings here.
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