We see that the number of planned places for translation specialties has increased in several universities compared to last year. At the same time, artificial intelligence technologies accelerate the translation process and, in particular, make automatic translation of daily and standard texts possible.
It is interesting to know, can the widespread application of artificial intelligence in the field of translation lead to a decrease in the demand for translators in the labor market in the coming years?
Education expert Goshgar Maharramov spoke to AzEdu.az on the topic.
The translation specialty and profession are among the professions that are heading towards extinction:
"I personally do not think there is a need to increase the number of planned places for translation specialties. As the number of translators in Azerbaijan increases, their job opportunities will not increase. It is not expected to increase either. Knowing a language, developing a language, can create new opportunities for them in some special master's, doctoral fields in the future. But the translation specialty and profession are among the professions that are heading towards extinction.
That is, people will no longer need translators much. Special tools are being developed, special devices are being prepared. Even glasses and headphones are already moving towards automatic translation. Therefore, I think that it is unnecessary for universities to open places for translation specialties and try to admit new students.
Specialties are generally updated with artificial intelligence and new technologies. Their previous content, program, and system change. If we cannot change this content, program, and system, then the graduates of those specialties are likely to remain unemployed, regardless of what specialty they have completed."
If specialties such as accounting, economics, and finance continue with their current content and program, their graduates will not be able to find jobs:
"Even if specialties are not eliminated, they are transformed. There are many news reports these days that 12,000 specialties have been closed in China. No, in fact, it is not about closing, it is simply about radical change. That is, the names of the programs change, the content of the programs changes. Thus, we cannot say that the owners of these specialties will completely disappear. But it is possible to expect that the owners of these specialties will emerge with new competencies.
I do not consider the increase in the admission of new students to the translation specialty in Azerbaijan as a rational step. So, which professions in Azerbaijan may be abolished in the future? Accounting, economics, finance - if these specialties continue with their current content and program, their graduates will not be able to find jobs. Most of them cannot find jobs even now.
People must be ready to either change their profession or learn new things in their profession, otherwise they will face the risk of unemployment:
"Municipal administration, state and municipal administration, regional studies, etc. such specialties are gradually decreasing. There are many specialties that are developing with artificial intelligence and special technologies. These specialties must be renewed, innovated, and their programs and other contents must undergo radical changes. Otherwise, the current situation also shows that graduates of these specialties have difficulty finding jobs. Professions requiring physical labor are at risk. In particular, many jobs such as librarianship, translation, accounting, and design are being replaced by artificial intelligence.
But the development of artificial intelligence and technology does not result in the elimination of the human factor. It simply reduces the human factor. I want to say this emphatically, this also happened during the Industrial Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution, people, workers, those working in factories and plants had to find new jobs for themselves. Because there were already machines and lathes in the factories. Those lathes did the work of 20 people. But still, there were one or two people at the head of that lathe.
That is, professions are not completely eliminated, simply the need for them decreases and the owners of those professions need new competencies. Therefore, people must be ready to either change their profession or learn new things in their profession. People who cannot do both will already face the risk of unemployment."
