A Translator / Interpreter carries a 58/100 AI replacement risk (medium). AI can already handle document translation; Live high-stakes interpreting still needs a person. Of exposed work, ~68% is automation vs 32% augmentation. Capability clock: ~2.1 years (2028). (ReplacedYet AI-Risk Index, 2026 data.)

Will AI replace a Translator / Interpreter?

AI replacement risk: 58/100 (medium risk). Moderate exposure — AI automates routine parts; judgment and relationships remain human.

Timeline: 2028–2031. Of the exposed work, roughly 68% is likely to be automated and 32% augmented. $2.6B/yr of US wages sit in highly-exposed work for this role.

AI/software exposure: 75%. Robot/physical-automation exposure: 0%.

Capability clock: AI's measured task horizon reaches this role's core complexity (~306.8h of human work) ~2.1 years (2028) — projected from METR's ~4.3-month doubling.

Pressure Index: 71/100 (high) — blends risk, demand trend, and real-world evidence. Job postings down 42% vs 2020.

AI tools targeting this role

• DeepL — high-quality machine translation between languages
• Google Translate — instant text and speech translation

Layoff signal: high — Neural machine translation has sharply reduced demand for routine translation work, though specialized and certified interpreting persists.

Then vs. now: the 2013 Oxford study scored this 38%; our 2026 index scores it 58% (a rise of 20 points).

Tasks at risk

• Document translation — Machine translation is near-human for many pairs.
• Routine localization — AI handles standard content.
• Subtitling — Auto-translation + captioning.

Tasks that still need a human

• Live high-stakes interpreting — Real-time nuance in legal/medical settings.
• Literary / cultural translation — Craft and nuance stay human.

Skills that protect you

• Specialized interpreting — Medical/legal/diplomatic.
• Post-editing & QA — Supervise machine output.
• Cultural consulting — Beyond literal translation.

Safer adjacent careers

Childcare Worker (5%) · Hairdresser (6%) · Nursing Assistant (6%) · Teaching Assistant (6%)

Related jobs

Translator (63%) · Sign Language Interpreter (63%) · Executive Assistant (58%) · Textile Worker (58%)

Category: Language · Methodology · Download the dataset

ReplacedYet AI-Risk Index. Last updated 2026-06-26. AI-estimated and directionally useful, not a guarantee.