Matias S. Zavia, who worked as a translation editor specializing in Spanish to English at the tech-centric online platform Gizmodo, recently found himself out of a job due to the escalating adoption of AI-driven translation capabilities.
Gizmodo, established in 2002, has begun to leverage artificial intelligence for its translation requirements. The website now includes a disclaimer that reads, “This content has been automatically translated from its original language. Please note that there may be minor discrepancies due to the nuances of machine translation. For the original version, click here.”
The increasing sophistication and prevalence of AI-based translation tools have seen their application broaden across various sectors, including academic settings and the corporate world.
This shift towards technology has sparked concerns over the potential displacement of professionals such as translators and editors. The story of Matias S. Zavia exemplifies the changes in the labor market prompted by advancements in artificial intelligence, serving as a warning about the evolving landscape of employment.
“ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TAKEN MY JOB”
Matias S. Zavia turned to social media to share the news of his job loss, with a post that read, “Hello friends. An AI has literally taken my job,” referring to his previous position at the Spanish edition of Gizmodo, known as GizmodoEs. A representative from G/O Media, Gizmodo’s parent company, confirmed that this move also affected some of their international staff.
The editor-in-chief of Gizmodo detailed the decision in an internal email to staff members, stating, “On Wednesday morning, G/O Media began to publish Gizmodo stories in Spanish using an automated translation system.” The email further described, “We are utilizing an advanced translation service that is capable of contextual understanding to carry out translations. This step signifies the start of our effort to make our journalism accessible in local languages. Over the next few months, you will see our content being made available in more languages.”
The email also highlighted, “Beneath each article translated automatically, there’s a disclaimer explaining our translation methodology and offering a link to the original article. These translations are published without any subtitles.”
These changes at Gizmodo underscore the dual nature of technological advancement. Although AI technology has the potential to broaden the scope of journalism by making content available in multiple languages, it concurrently poses significant challenges to job security for those in professions increasingly vulnerable to automation.
The Writers Guild of America’s affiliated union expressed its dismay over the layoffs. “Rather than depending on the skilled journalists at Gizmodo Español, G/O Media has resorted to automation. This system takes articles from the English-language Gizmodo, translates them into Spanish — often poorly — and then posts them on Gizmodo Español almost immediately, without any Spanish editorial review,” the union’s statement read, critiquing the approach to automation and its impact on quality and employment.
NOT THE FIRST DISMISSAL
Recent times have seen a growing number of employees raising concerns over losing their jobs to new artificial intelligence technologies. Numerous workers have reported their roles being supplanted by AI-driven solutions.
Businesses are increasingly signaling their readiness to integrate AI into their everyday operations, with several CEOs, including IBM’s Arvind Krishna, considering plans to reduce their workforce in favor of adopting such technologies.
While the productive application of AI in the workplace is recognized for its potential in cost reduction and enhancing efficiency, technology experts caution that AI is still not without its flaws. According to these researchers, companies often encounter issues when they rush to implement these technologies or do so without adequate human supervision, highlighting the importance of balance between technological innovation and human oversight.
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