The Future of Translation Amid the AI Wave

On April 25, 2026, the China Translation Association held its annual meeting at Wuhan University, themed “Integration and Breaking Barriers: The Infinite Possibilities of Translation in the Digital Era.” Experts from various fields gathered to discuss the high-quality development of the translation industry under the influence of artificial intelligence.

The 2026 China Translation Industry Development Report revealed that in 2025, the Chinese translation industry maintained stability during scale adjustments, with a total output value of approximately 70.12 billion yuan. The number of operating translation companies and the quality of personnel showed steady growth, with 6.867 million professionals in the field, including 1.135 million full-time translators.

Communication enriches civilization. The 2026 Global Translation Industry Development Report indicated that the global translation industry has moved beyond a phase of universal growth into a new stage characterized by differentiation and reconstruction. Research from international consulting firms estimated the global translation market size at $59.53 billion in 2025, reflecting a 7% increase from the previous year. The Asian and European markets demonstrated strong growth, with over 60% of overseas orders for Chinese translation companies coming from European clients. In academia, China leads globally in the output of translation research and the number of research institutions.

Currently, artificial intelligence is empowering various industries. AI translation is widely applied, and translation technology is entering a phase of deep integration. According to the 2026 China Translation Industry Development Report, there were 2,183 companies in China focusing on AI translation as their main business in 2025, and the human-machine collaborative translation model has become a basic consensus in the industry. The 2026 Global Translation Industry Development Report noted a significant increase in the application rate of AI translation and large language models, which have become mainstream tools in the translation sector. A survey of the European language industry in 2025 found that 60% of respondents had used AI translation, while 80% of language service providers had adopted it.

Wang Gangyi, former deputy director of the China Foreign Languages Bureau and executive vice president of the China Translation Association, stated during the report release that while AI translation and large language model technology are evolving, there are still significant shortcomings in terms of language coverage, accuracy, emotional understanding, and expression. Skills in AI-related capabilities and specialized fields are critical demands, and human-machine collaboration has become the mainstream working model. Small and medium-sized language companies and independent practitioners face multiple operational pressures, making specialization and differentiation key survival strategies.

“AI technology is profoundly reshaping the global landscape of language services and cultural dissemination,” remarked Wang Lu, director of the Film Translation Production Center at China Central Television and executive vice president of the China Translation Association, during the release of the Research Report on AI Translation and the Internationalization of China’s ‘New Three Samples’. She emphasized that although AI translation significantly lowers the barriers to cross-language communication and enhances overseas efficiency, the internationalization process of China’s cultural ’new three samples’—online literature, online films, and online games—still faces common challenges such as data security, compliance, cultural bias, and balancing quality and cost. She urged all parties in the industry chain to adopt differentiated, precise, and collaborative development strategies to collectively address these challenges and enhance international effectiveness.

During a roundtable dialogue between representatives from emerging enterprises involved in the internationalization of the ’new three samples’ and scholars from Wuhan University, discussions focused on cross-cultural narratives and new paradigms of translation. They explored the connotations and contemporary value of Jingchu culture and discussed how to leverage the Yangtze culture to enhance the cultural export in the digital age.

Culture is the soul of translation work. Translation must not only possess depth of thought but also a humanistic warmth. According to Wang Wei, vice president of iFlytek Co., Ltd., while machine translation can convey information relatively completely, it still falls short of the understanding and output quality that human translators achieve with context and elegance. Looking ahead, a new ecosystem of multilingual AI translation needs to be collaboratively built by humans and machines.

“The iteration of technology, especially the development of AI, provides us with significant opportunities to enhance our work, strengthen our capabilities, and continually expand the boundaries of translation work,” stated Guillaume de Nerfberg, president of the International Federation of Translators, in a video address. He emphasized that under the AI wave, the value of translation will not diminish; rather, its importance will become more pronounced, raising the standards for translation professionals. We need skilled language workers now more than ever.