The biggest lie in the AI era is that cheaper translation means better communication.
In this episode of Localization Fireside Chat, I sat down with Sophie Ouellet for one of the most honest conversations we have had about what is actually happening to freelance translators as artificial intelligence reshapes the industry.
Sophie is not just a freelancer. She is an academic, a legal translator, and a technologist who understands both the theory and the reality of language work. Her career spans universities, international experience, and years on the front lines of professional translation.
That makes her perspective hard to ignore.
She has watched the industry shift from valuing expertise to chasing volume. Clients now compare human translators to machine output and assume that cheaper must be good enough. The result is predictable.
Wages drop.
Quality erodes.
Professional standards weaken.
Sophie explains that translation is not about words. It is about responsibility. Legal documents, medical information, and public communication all carry consequences. AI systems do not understand those consequences. They generate text. Humans understand meaning.
This is why she pushes back against the idea that AI can replace translators. AI makes mistakes. And trained professionals are the ones who know how to find them.
What makes this conversation especially powerful is Sophie’s dual role as a freelancer and a teacher. She sees how future translators are being trained and how technology is being integrated into the curriculum. Her message is clear.
We need better AI, not blind AI.
Translators should be in control of the tools, not competing against them. If the industry does not design AI models that serve professional workflows, then freelancers will continue to be squeezed by platforms that care only about cost.
Sophie also challenges companies to take responsibility. If clients continue to choose speed and price over accuracy and ethics, they will eventually pay for it in lawsuits, compliance failures, and damaged trust.
The AI era does not remove the need for human translators. It raises the stakes.
This episode is a reality check for anyone who believes that technology alone can carry meaning across languages.
It cannot.
People still do that.
Watch the full conversation
Localization Fireside Chat
Unscripted. Unbiased. Unfiltered.
https://www.l10nfiresidechat.com
Robin Ayoub 
Leave a comment