With AI translation tools like Google Translate and DeepL getting faster and smarter every year, it’s easy to wonder: Is it worth studying languages when machines can do the work for us? Can they truly replace the nuanced, culturally rich understanding that comes from learning a language?

As language teachers, Prof Silke Mentchen and Paul Hoegger bring a unique perspective on this topic, having known Translation studies before the advent of AI and seeing its increasing impact on current student cohorts who are exploring and making use of translation technology.