Translate : Multilingual Access to Critical Services in the Age of AI

Including striking case studies, this book explores the multilingual uses of AI in public services. It is essential reading for researchers and students of language and communication, as well as AI enthusiasts, policy professionals and public service specialists. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Automated translations can break down language barriers and increase access to information, but they can also be highly inaccurate. This timely book explores the social challenges and ethical considerations of using artificial intelligence (AI) translations in high-stakes professional environments. Based on contributions from over two thousand professionals from critical sectors including healthcare, social work, emergency services and the police, the analysis explores the motivations and consequences of multilingual uses of AI across these sectors. Real-life examples provided throughout the book bring home the delicate balance of risks and benefits of using AI to serve and communicate with multilingual communities. By drawing on concepts such as virtue, trust, empathy and AI literacy, this book makes a case for nuance and flexibility, defends the value of language access, and calls for greater transparency in the development and deployment of AI translation tools. This title is also available as open access on Cambridge Core.