#247 CIOL CEO John Worne on How AI Is Impacting the Language Profession
Apr 17, 2025
46:17
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Quick takeaways
The integration of AI in the language profession reflects a divided sentiment among linguists, with half embracing the technology while the other half expresses concerns about quality and trust.
The CIOL emphasizes the importance of professional standards and advocacy for language professionals, highlighting the need for reliable support in sensitive contexts like legal interpreting.
Deep dives
The Impact of AI on Language Professionals
The integration of AI into language services presents a mixed landscape for linguists, particularly freelancers, who have recently experienced fluctuations in work volume. While there was a reported decline in work availability towards the end of last year, emerging data from early this year suggests a more stable situation, with many professionals indicating no significant change in their workload. About half of the members actively use AI in their work, with others remaining skeptical and resisting its adoption. This divided sentiment reflects the uncertainty surrounding AI’s role in the industry, especially as businesses experiment with these tools.
Royal Chartered Bodies and Linguistic Advocacy
Royal Chartered Bodies, such as the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), focus on the public good by promoting intercultural understanding and excellence in the linguistic field. The CIOL serves as a pivotal support system for language professionals, providing resources, professional qualifications, and fostering collaborations with other organizations dedicated to language promotion. It reflects a commitment not only to the interests of its members but also to broader culture and language initiatives, highlighting the diverse roles of linguists across different sectors including education, business, and public service. Engaging in partnerships enhances the organization's influence while addressing varying language needs in the global context.
House of Lords Inquiry on Language Services
The recent inquiry by the House of Lords focused on the challenges faced by interpreting and translation services in the UK, particularly concerning public and legal contexts. It highlighted the critical issues related to underpayment and workforce shortages among interpreters, emphasizing the need for reliable language support in sensitive settings like courts. The inquiry found that while there were advocates for AI solutions, significant concerns remained about AI's ability to handle diverse language needs, particularly in low-resource languages. The resulting recommendations aimed at ensuring fair pay and maintaining professional standards underscore the urgency of policy frameworks to navigate the complexities posed by technological advancements.
Preparing Future Linguists in an AI-Driven Era
As the landscape of language professions evolves with AI technologies, new generations of linguists must adapt to a rapidly changing environment. Younger individuals, being digital natives, are expected to leverage tech tools more effortlessly compared to previous generations, suggesting a shift in how language skills are taught and utilized. There is a critical need for educational frameworks that equip upcoming linguists with the necessary skills to navigate the integration of AI within their practices effectively. As content creation continues to diversify, the emphasis may shift towards high-skill, concise communication that resonates with the fast-paced preferences of future audiences.
John Worne, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), joins SlatorPod to discuss CIOL’s mission to support and promote language professionals and the value of languages for the public good through professional standards, advocacy, and intercultural understanding.
John highlights the challenges of applying AI in high-stakes contexts like court interpreting. He references the UK House of Lords inquiry into language services in the legal system, which emphasized the risks of AI, particularly for low-resource languages and nuanced human communication. He warns that casual, unsupervised AI use in public services risks serious harm without proper oversight.
The CEO describes the industry’s current AI experience as mixed. While late 2024 saw falling workloads and experimentation by clients with generative AI, early 2025 brought a more stable picture, with some freelancers regaining lost business. Still, the community remains divided: about half of CIOL’s members embrace AI tools, while the rest resist them, concerned about quality and trust.
John raises questions about AI’s influence on how we use and shape language. He notes how generative AI introduces patterns into the linguistic mainstream, creating an "AI-mediated average" that may dilute cultural identity. He argues that language is a “human meta skill”, encoding not only communication but identity, culture, and belonging.
Looking ahead, John is cautiously optimistic for the next generation of linguists, as digital natives may be more adept at using AI creatively and multitasking across tools. CIOL plans to expand free resources and community engagement in 2025, ensuring that the future of language work remains inclusive, ethical, and informed by real human insight.
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