ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This study analyzes the impact of advances in translation technologies―such as machine translation and AI translation―on professional translators and the translation industry, with particular attention to the resulting transformations in translators’ identities and professional roles. Drawing on a literature review and theoretical frameworks, the analysis examines the relationship between technological innovation and translation practice through the lenses of technological determinism, social constructivism, humanism, and post-humanism. The study further classifies potential scenarios of role transformation into utopian and dystopian trajectories. Current trends indicate that translation technologies contribute to the deprofessionalization of the field, the relativization of quality, and the reconfiguration of translators’ roles. From a humanistic perspective, translators are viewed as cultural mediators and ethical agents, whereas a post-humanistic lens emphasizes the co-evolution of human expertise and machine capabilities. In light of the ambivalent optimism and pessimism surrounding technological adoption, this paper advances the argument that translators may emerge as curators of meaning and collaborative partners of AI. Ultimately, technological development is framed not as a force of displacement, but as an impetus for transitioning toward a novel paradigm of human-machine collaboration. This study argues for a contextualized approach to role redefinition, positioning translators as metacognitive agents who ethically and strategically integrate AI into their professional practice. The future of the profession is thus contingent upon the responsible integration of such technologies.

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