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