Volunteer interpreter Bruno Verduzco listened as the young mother on the phone told how the FARC beat, raped, kidnapped, and threatened her. As she spoke, Verduzco, a Mexico City native, Googled terms he missed. Colombia has its own words for the FARC and the guerilla group\u2019s crimes, and if Verduzco got any of them wrong, the woman\u2019s case for asylum could be rejected.<\/p>\n
In many contexts, human interpretation is a profession of the past. In an ad for Apple\u2019s new Airpods Pro 3<\/a>, which came to stores on Friday, the technology helps a woman buy carnations from a Spanish-speaking vendor. A Portuguese-speaker and an English-speaker, both donning a fresh pair, talk business over a meal. At $250 apiece, AirPods Pro 3 uses Apple Intelligence to translate a foreign language live, in a human-like tone, into the wearer\u2019s ear, toning down the speaker\u2019s voice at the same time.<\/p>\n The possibilities to navigate foreign countries, conduct business, and communicate with loved ones are vaster than ever. But some fear Apple\u2019s new savvy machine will become a cheap replacement for something only humans can do.<\/p>\n \u201cThe news about Apple\u2019s new headphones has us a bit worried,\u201d said Maria Juega, a legal interpreter.<\/p>\n Juega\u2019s fears are warranted. In recent years, the U.S. government has started using AI-powered translation to communicate with immigrants. In 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol created an app<\/a> to help officers communicate with non-English speakers entering the U.S. In 2019, ProPublica<\/a> published an internal manual<\/a> from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that tells officers how to decipher the social media posts of non-English speakers. \u201cGo to translate.google.com,\u201d it reads. \u201cPaste the text that needs to be translated to English.\u201d \u201cClick on the blue \u2018Translate\u2019 command button.\u201d \u201cReview results.\u201d<\/p>\n AI-powered translation can move a backlog of immigration cases forward. In the U.S., the demand for interpreters is constant, fluctuating based on circumstances abroad. When the Taliban took over their country in 2021, many Afghans sought asylum in the U.S. A shortage of Dari- and Pashtun-speaking interpreters slowed their cases.<\/p>\n Though the new AirPods are only fluent in English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and French, the technology signals hope for immigrants who speak lesser-known languages. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult to find somebody that can interpret from Wolof to English,\u201d said Mary F. Chicorelli, founder of Equal Access Legal Services, a Philadelphia non-profit that represents immigrants. \u201cOr something called Soninke,\u201d she said, referring to a West African language with no written form of its own.<\/p>\n Chicorelli has long relied on Google Translate for basic communication. The technology allows her to write to clients in their native languages to confirm consultations or notify them of a green card approval. But she is skeptical of AI\u2019s ability to handle more important tasks, like preparing for asylum interviews or verifying key facts.<\/p>\n If an interpreter mistranslates an immigrant\u2019s story, \u201ctheir entire case could be blown,\u201d she said. The stakes are especially high for asylum seekers, who rarely know English and are often fleeing dangerous circumstances. In their hearings, they rely on interpreters to get their stories right.<\/p>\n To request asylum, each applicant needs to prepare a document explaining her reasons for seeking refuge. For a case to make it to court, this document must be written in clear, well-formatted English. Asylum seekers depend on interpreters long before they make it to court.<\/p>\n \u201cThe nuances of interpretation are extremely important for translating how a person\u2019s experience fits into\u2014or doesn\u2019t\u2014the very specific statutes that govern asylum,\u201d said Amelia Frank-Vitale, an anthropologist and immigration scholar. For someone to qualify for asylum, they must fit into a persecuted group. \u201cIt isn\u2019t enough to rise to the level of asylum under US and international law that people want to kill you,\u201d Dr. Frank-Vitale said.<\/p>\n In this context, details matter.<\/p>\n An example: In Spanish, jefe <\/em>means boss. In Mexico, it sometimes means \u201cfather.\u201d In an asylum case, a mistranslation of jefe<\/em> could nullify a plea for asylum due to familial or gender-based persecution.<\/p>\n \u201cThe translation aspect of it, in my opinion, is the easiest part,\u201d Verduzco said, reflecting on his work for Solidaridad Central Jersey, a Pro-Se clinic for asylum seekers. \u201cI do fear that not a lot of people can interpret, and even less can interpret in a cultural sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Live translation technology is not novel. But with Apple\u2019s new product, it is easier to use than ever. The wearer simply taps a button or says \u201cSiri, start Live Translation\u201d to activate the setting. Human interpreters are wary of the risks that come with machine replacements. \u201cWe think that in the legal context, our jobs will keep being necessary,\u201d said Juega, a court interpreter. \u201cEven if certain aspects will be made easier by the new technology.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Volunteer interpreter Bruno Verduzco listened as the young mother on the phone told how the FARC beat, raped, kidnapped, and threatened her. As she spoke, Verduzco, a Mexico City native, Googled terms he missed. Colombia has its own words for the FARC and the guerilla group\u2019s crimes, and if Verduzco got any of them wrong,<\/p>\n