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Chapter 5 MT developers

  • Martin Volk and Samuel Läubli
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Handbook of the Language Industry
This chapter is in the book Handbook of the Language Industry

Abstract

While several studies have explored the skills that people require to use machine translation (MT) systems, little is known about the people who build them. We conducted a small survey among MT developers to gather data on their qualifications, roles, tasks and skills. We find that, almost regardless of their role, MT developers assume a broad spectrum of tasks, ranging from data acquisition to system training and evaluation. With regard to the future, our survey participants feel that specialized roles - particularly Data Curators - will emerge and that programming skills will continue to be more important than language skills in many roles. We also contrast market and societal needs for MT described in the scientific literature with trends and topics that our participants describe as important in MT development. We find little awareness for topics related to inclusion - such as making MT less biased and more accessible - among MT developers. Part of the reason for this could be that, at least in terms of gender, the MT development community itself is male dominated: 90% of the MT developers who participated in our survey identify as male (which is in line with our own observations).

Abstract

While several studies have explored the skills that people require to use machine translation (MT) systems, little is known about the people who build them. We conducted a small survey among MT developers to gather data on their qualifications, roles, tasks and skills. We find that, almost regardless of their role, MT developers assume a broad spectrum of tasks, ranging from data acquisition to system training and evaluation. With regard to the future, our survey participants feel that specialized roles - particularly Data Curators - will emerge and that programming skills will continue to be more important than language skills in many roles. We also contrast market and societal needs for MT described in the scientific literature with trends and topics that our participants describe as important in MT development. We find little awareness for topics related to inclusion - such as making MT less biased and more accessible - among MT developers. Part of the reason for this could be that, at least in terms of gender, the MT development community itself is male dominated: 90% of the MT developers who participated in our survey identify as male (which is in line with our own observations).

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110716047-006

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface to the Handbooks of Applied Linguistics Series V
  3. Contents VII
  4. Introduction: Contextualizing language industry studies 1
  5. Part 1: Contexts and technological resources
  6. Chapter 1 Charting the language industry: Interview with an industry observer 17
  7. Chapter 2 Evolution of the language industry 33
  8. Chapter 3 The institutional language industry: Intercultural mediation at the European Parliament 49
  9. Chapter 4 Artificial intelligence, automation and the language industry 71
  10. Part 2: The human factor: Professional profiles
  11. Chapter 5 MT developers 101
  12. Chapter 6 Language technology developers 121
  13. Chapter 7 Translation and localization project and process managers 143
  14. Chapter 8 Terminology managers 179
  15. Chapter 9 Revisers and post-editors: The guardians of quality 203
  16. Chapter 10 Video game localizers 225
  17. Chapter 11 Transcreation: Beyond translation and advertising 251
  18. Chapter 12 Audiovisual translators 271
  19. Chapter 13 Media accessibility specialists 295
  20. Chapter 14 Legal translator profiles 321
  21. Chapter 15 Technical translators 349
  22. Chapter 16 Translators in medical and health settings 375
  23. Chapter 17 Heritage tourism translators 403
  24. Chapter 18 Language awareness in humanitarian responses 431
  25. Chapter 19 Distance interpreting as a professional profile 449
  26. Chapter 20 Conference interpreting in AI settings: New skills and ethical challenges 473
  27. Afterword 489
  28. Contributors to this volume 495
  29. Index 501
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