AIIC conference interpreter and interpreter trainer, Barbara Bethäusser-Conte, gave a Professionalisation Talk on conference interpreting
Entering the Profession of Conference Interpreter in the Age of AI and Why Join AIIC
On Friday, 30 May 2025, Barbara Bethäusser-Conte gave a talk as part of the Professionalisation Talks offered to students on the University’s MA Conference Interpreting and Translation Studies (MACITS), MA Business and Public Service Interpreting and Translation Studies (MABPSITS), and MA Applied Translation Studies (MAATS) programmes, etc. The title of the talk was “Entering the Profession of Conference Interpreter in the Age of AI and Why Join AIIC.”
Conference interpreters usually work as staff or freelance interpreters at international organisations like the UN and the European Union (depending on their language combination). They can also be self-employed and active in the private market, which includes businesses or other organisations.
There is a difference between conference interpreters, who habitually perform consecutive and/or simultaneous interpreting in formal settings, and community interpreters, who tend to do liaison interpreting in more informal settings.
Over the last few years, we have witnessed significant technological changes impacting the profession. The two most wide-ranging developments have been the increasing use of remote interpreting and the recent evolution of AI. Both present challenges and opportunities for the profession.
Remote interpreting has significantly changed how conference interpreters work in the private market today and has become more prominent since the COVID-19 pandemic. Interpreters can provide their services remotely through various configurations. If, for several reasons, interpreters cannot physically be in their usual setting—i.e., working from fixed or mobile interpretation booths with physical consoles in the same room as the meeting—they can either be co-located in remote booths set up in hubs or work from their premises. However, there are implications for their performance, particularly if the sound and video quality are deficient. Additionally, there may be an impact due to the necessity of close collaboration between colleagues in simultaneous interpreting.
The remote interpreting market offers new opportunities but also challenges in terms of business models. Conference interpreters engaged for on-site meetings are usually compensated with a daily fee. Interpreters working remotely are sometimes paid only for their actual online working time. However, there is no sufficient business case for such a practice, as the fee is also meant to cover the time spent preparing for an assignment, its planning, and all the administrative tasks involved. In addition, interpreters working from their premises must also perform the job of on-site technicians and will need to acquire all the necessary hardware and software.
There has been recent hype about the emergence of AI. A clear distinction needs to be made between AI capabilities and human interpreters. Current AI "interpreting" is machine translation, converting voice to text and then text to voice, and lacks the cognitive processes of human interpreters.
Using the AI real-time voice-to-text function may work effectively in informal settings where there are budgetary constraints or where a certain level of inaccuracy is tolerable. Among the advantages of human interpreters are guarantees of ethical considerations and confidentiality, in addition to purely linguistic features.
However, AI may be useful for interpreters in meeting preparation, for example, by creating glossaries or summaries, or by benefiting from its extensive search engine capabilities.
Human advantages in conference interpreting can be summarised as follows: real-time decision-making; emotional intelligence and situational awareness; professional ethics, confidentiality, and neutrality; the ability to interact with clients and adapt dynamically; ensuring data security and critical processing of information; as well as analysing and structuring content, which makes it easier for listeners to understand and process. Unlike AI, human interpreters can distinguish between primary and secondary information.
In the second part of the presentation, newcomers received general career guidance and an
an overview of AIIC, the International Association of Conference Interpreters.
AIIC is the only truly international association exclusively representing conference
interpreters worldwide.
“Since 1953, AIIC has been promoting the highest standards of quality and ethics in
interpreting. Globally.”
It defends interpreters’ rights, promotes quality and ethics, and offers professional development opportunities.
Within AIIC, the VEGA network—an AIIC global outreach and mentoring program—offers guidance to novices in the profession. This network can be particularly useful for recent graduates, as it provides starter packs, advice and tips, standard contracts, checklists, and networking and information sessions.
To be eligible for membership, applicants must prove their experience as conference interpreters by documenting a minimum of 150 days in professional conditions and by providing peer sponsorship. The admission process is governed by peer endorsements and the observation of ethical standards. Applicants must demonstrate adherence to a strict ethical code covering confidentiality, accuracy, and collegiality.
This informative talk gave students a comprehensive overview of the working world of conference interpreters and highlighted the importance of AIIC, not only for a career but also as a way of helping to shape the future of conference interpreting.
If you have any questions regarding AIIC or want to find out more about membership, please visit:
https://aiic.org/site/interpreter/join-aiic?nav=sidebar
and
https://aiic.org/site/about-us/outreach for more information.
Author: Marion Martinez (MACITS 2024-25)
