by A recent study conducted by Surrey’s Centre for Translation Studies (CTS) has found that training in new forms of human-AI interaction can greatly improve the cognitive abilities of language professionals. The research focused on Interlingual Respeaking (IRSP), a practice where live subtitles in another language are generated through collaboration between humans and speech recognition software. The findings of the study highlight the potential of AI-related technologies to enhance the performance of language professionals in an evolving industry.
IRSP is a demanding real-time process that requires language professionals to simultaneously translate incoming spoken language while providing punctuation and content labels orally. Additionally, they also need to make necessary edits to the speech recognition software that converts their spoken words into subtitles. Given the complexity of this task, the researchers aimed to explore the effects of an upskilling course on IRSP on language professionals’ cognitive abilities, specifically executive functioning (EF) and working memory (WM).
The study involved a group of 51 language professionals who participated in a purpose-made 25-hour upskilling course on IRSP. The participants’ EF and WM were measured before and after the course to assess the impact of the training. The results revealed that the training in real-time human-AI interaction significantly improved the participants’ working memory and task-switching abilities. This finding indicates that language professionals can leverage AI technologies to enhance their cognitive capabilities, equipping them with a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving language industry.
Dr. Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo, a Research Fellow at CTS specializing in Cognitive Psychology and a Fellow of Surrey’s Institute for People-Centred AI, commented on the research findings, stating that the study demonstrates the cognitive benefits of training in new forms of human-AI interaction. She emphasized the importance of continuous exploration and adaptation in the language industry, which is experiencing a growing reliance on AI-related technologies such as automatic speech recognition and machine translation.
Dr. Elena Davitti, the Associate Professor at CTS and Principal Investigator of the project, highlighted the significance of the study in understanding the cognitive demands of complex practices facilitated by human-AI collaboration. The research provides valuable insights that can inform enhanced approaches to upskilling in the language industry, which is characterized by the rapid growth of AI-related technologies.
As AI continues to reshape language-related practices, this study underscores the importance of human-AI collaboration and the need for language professionals to adapt to the evolving landscape. By embracing AI technologies and developing proficiency in real-time human-AI interaction, language professionals can position themselves at the forefront of an industry that is increasingly driven by AI innovations.
The study was part of the SMART project (Shaping Multilingual Access through Respeaking Technology, ES/T002530/1, 2020–2023), and it involved Dr. Simon Evans as a Co-investigator. The project, which included a consortium of academic and industry stakeholders, sheds light on the cognitive demands of human-AI interaction and its implications for language professionals. The study has been published in the journal Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
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