When discussions about AI in interpreting arise, they almost always focus on conference interpreting: multilingual summits, corporate meetings, or international events. This focus is unsurprising: conference interpreting is highly visible and associated with prestige, as in the UN or the EU. Yet this emphasis has created a blind spot, both in the practical reality, but even more surprisingly in research and in LSP. The vast and socially critical field of public service interpreting (PSI), such as in hospitals, courts, schools, and community settings, remains largely underserved by technological innovation. This is not merely an academic oversight. It is also a missed business opportunity for the language industry, and a lost chance to improve communication where it matters most.
AI as an Enabler
In the context of professional use, especially in regulated sectors, AI should be seen as an enabler, not a replacement. Just as in healthcare or law, AI can support professionals to work more efficiently and accurately without taking away their expertise. For interpreters, computer-assisted interpreting (CAI) tools could help manage cognitive load, provide terminology support, and maintain accuracy in high-pressure contexts, strengthening the profession rather than diminishing it. This is a concept that circulates very much in the small niche of conference interpreting, but that it has been rarely addressed for the much larger sector of public service interpreting.
The Blind Spot: Public Service Interpreting
Most CAI development has focused on conference interpreting, creating tools for booths, glossaries, and speech-to-text support. But conference interpreting is a niche. So it is its addressable market and the impact that such technology can have. By contrast, PSI impacts millions of people daily: interpreters in hospitals, courts, schools, refugee services, and local administrations mediate access to rights, health, and justice. This large user base has also been surprisingly neglected by academia. Even in comprehensive research databases on Interpreting and Technology, there are virtually no studies dedicated to CAI tools, or, for that matter, to any other digital solutions, designed to support interpreters in this context.
AI Opportunities in Public Service Interpreting
The potential applications are vast. Here are a few examples:
- Emergency rooms: A medical interpreter is called to assist with a stroke patient. The doctor uses technical terminology, and the interpreter must respond quickly. A CAI tool providing instant access to curated medical glossaries, procedural terms, or drug names could prevent errors and reduce stress.
- Asylum procedures: A refugee arrives speaking a language that staff cannot immediately identify. Valuable time is often lost before the right interpreter is located. An AI-powered app could detect the speaker’s language instantly and route the procedure to the appropriate interpreter, either onsite or remotely, dramatically improving access to justice and reducing delays.
- Courtrooms: Unlike conferences, court interpreters often work alone. AI tools could provide discreet support with key terminology, case names, or dates, making workloads more sustainable while keeping the interpreter in control.
- Training in rare languages: Students learning to interpret in less commonly spoken languages often lack realistic practice material. AI-driven CAI tools could generate scenarios for practice, enabling more effective training and expanding the pool of qualified interpreters where they are most needed.
Privacy, security, and over-reliance on technology are valid concerns, but solvable. Offline, on-device systems can ensure confidentiality, and tools can be designed to keep interpreters firmly “in the loop”. In other words, this potential could translate into the ability to deliver superior services, enabling both interpreters and LSPs to differentiate themselves from competitors.
A new market for LSP and Tech companies
The real risk lies in ignoring PSI entirely, building tools for a small, elite niche while neglecting the broader social impact of the profession. This fallacy has not only held back a major segment of the interpreting economy from leveraging digital transformation, but has also stopped companies from accessing a market of substantial size and untapped potential.Recent market research reports that the global interpreting market is valued at approximately USD 12.9 billion in 20241 and is expected to continue growing at a strong rate, with projections ranging from a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of around 10.8% to reach an estimated value of over USD 36 billion by 20342. Most of this market is in the public sector.
A Call to Action
The future of interpreting will not be determined by technology alone, but by the choices we make as researchers, developers, entrepreneurs, and practitioners. By rebalancing attention toward public service interpreting, we can ensure AI fulfills its potential to enhance quality, efficiency, and access in contexts that matter most, unlocking new potentials for the growth of all stakeholders.
The question is not whether AI will enter interpreting. It already has. The real question is where we direct its potential: toward limiting it to an elite niche, or toward solutions that improve lives every day in hospitals, courts, and communities around the world.
- https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/interpreting-market-102573#:~:text=Interpreting%20Market%20Report%20Scope%20%26%20Segmentation ↩︎
- https://www.globalgrowthinsights.com/market-reports/interpreting-market-114095#:~:text=Key%20Findings,in%20remote%20language%20access%20platforms. ↩︎