By Mahmoud Kamel
Artificial intelligence is changing translation education, not only because it can translate texts, but also because it is changing the way students learn, instructors assess their work and universities understand academic honesty. With tools such as ChatGPT becoming increasingly capable of producing fluent translations, an important question comes to mind: How can we prepare future translators to use AI effectively without losing the skills, judgment and responsibility that make them professionals?
Chapter 10 of Translation Studies in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, written by Bo Li and Yuan Liu, examines this question from an ethical perspective. Rather than treating AI simply as a new tool that students must learn to use, the authors look at the wider problems it creates for translation education. These include academic honesty, fairness in assessment, unequal access to technology, transparency about AI use and the responsibility of translators for the texts they produce.
The chapter raises an important point. The challenge is not simply to decide whether students should be allowed to use AI. The real challenge is to establish clear rules that protect the value of education while preparing students for a profession in which technology is becoming increasingly important.
When translation assignments are no longer what they seem
For many years, translation instructors have assessed students by asking them to translate a text from one language into another. The final translation was expected to show the student’s understanding of the source text, language ability, research skills and capacity to make appropriate decisions.
Generative AI has made this process more complicated. A student can now submit a fluent translation produced partly or entirely by an AI system. The instructor may find it difficult to determine how much of the work reflects the student’s own ability and how much comes from the machine.
This creates a problem for both teaching and assessment. If a student submits a translation that is almost entirely generated by AI, the final text may not provide reliable evidence of what the student has learned. At the same time, it would be wrong to assume that every use of AI is a form of cheating. Translation has always involved the use of dictionaries, reference books, terminology databases and computer-assisted translation tools.
The important question is where to draw the line between using a tool to support learning and allowing that tool to do the learning for the student. A student who uses AI to compare possible translations, investigate a difficult expression or identify weaknesses in a draft may gain valuable experience. A student who simply submits the machine’s output without examining it may complete the assignment without developing the required skills.
This is why general rules about plagiarism may not be enough. Translation education needs clear guidance that takes account of the particular nature of translation work and the different purposes of classroom exercises, examinations and graduation projects.
The problem with simply banning AI
Some universities have responded to the arrival of generative AI by restricting or prohibiting its use in student assignments. Such measures may appear to offer a simple solution, especially when instructors are concerned about academic dishonesty.
However, a complete ban can create problems of its own. AI is already becoming part of professional translation, and graduates will need to understand how to work with it. If students are prevented from using these tools throughout their education, they may leave university without the knowledge required to work effectively in a changing profession.
The authors point to a gradual movement towards more balanced policies in higher education. Instead of treating every use of AI as misconduct, universities can establish conditions under which it may be used responsibly. These conditions should explain which tasks permit AI assistance, which require independent student work and what students must disclose about their use of these tools.
Translation education needs this kind of clear and practical approach. Students should understand not only what is allowed, but also why certain forms of assistance are acceptable while others undermine the purpose of an assignment.
AI should not become an easy way to avoid learning. Equally, universities should not ignore a technology that is already influencing the professional environment for which they are preparing their students.
Dr Mahmoud Kamel is Professor at the Academy of Arts
