Vasco Pedro, CEO of the Lisbon-based startup Unbabel, delivered a provocative forecast at the Web Summit in Lisbon when he said human translators may no longer be needed within three years. The statement came in parallel with the launch of Widn.AI, Unbabel’s new AI-powered translation service built on its proprietary large language model, Tower. Capable of handling translations in 32 languages, Widn.AI represents a significant shift from the company’s earlier hybrid model, which paired AI technology with human editors.

“The advantage humans have in translation is razor-thin,” Pedro said, asserting that AI has reached a stage where it can handle all but the most complex translation tasks. This advancement aligns with a broader trend of generative AI boosting enterprise innovation, as companies increasingly leverage AI for tasks once deemed exclusively human.

Implications for Jobs and Industry

Unbabel’s innovation comes as AI’s potential to replace jobs is sparking heated debates. While Unbabel foresees growth fueled by a surge in translated content, Pedro admitted that the revenue per word is likely to drop. This mirrors broader predictions about AI’s disruptive potential, such as Vinod Khosla’s claim that AI could perform 80 percent of tasks across 80 percent of jobs.

Source: eWeek

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