Does GenAI reliance undermine translators’ roles and identities? GenAI literacy and translation competence matter

Abstract

The rise of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has provoked concerns regarding linguists’ relegation to mechanical roles such as machine translation consultants and post-editors, which undermines their sense of ownership and professional identity. However, empirical findings remain mixed: translators familiar with AI and confident in their creativity, cultural awareness, and subject knowledge are more likely to embrace GenAI, suggesting moderating effects of translation experience and AI literacy. Drawing on professional identity theory, this mixed-methods study integrates qualitative (n=41) and quantitative (n=268) data to explore how self-initiated GenAI adoption affects translators’ role evolution and identity reconstruction. Interview data unravelled translators’ shifting roles and occupational personas, along with their coping strategies for identity preservation or enhancement. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) of survey responses confirms the negative impact of GenAI overreliance (especially for complex tasks) and underscores the urgent need to strengthen cross-cultural competence and GenAI literacy in the GenAI era.