Présentation du numéro thématique “ Specialized translation and intercultural mediation: How do they fit together in the age of artificial intelligence?”

Abstract

The meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming translation practices worldwide. In this context of technological and social change, specialized translation and intercultural mediation are at the heart of unprecedented epistemic, professional and ethical issues. Far from being mere parallel fields, these two fields of activity are now articulated around the same imperative: guaranteeing terminological precision and semantic fidelity while ensuring the understanding, adaptation and intercultural circulation of meaning. In the era of generative AI and neural translation technologies, this articulation is becoming more complex. Automated tools are changing the way specialized texts – legal, medical, technical or economic – are produced, validated and disseminated, while redefining the roles of the translator and mediator. While AI promises greater efficiency, it questions the quality, responsibility and ethics of human translation.