The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is transforming the translation profession and redefining the role of the human translator. While technological innovation has significantly improved efficiency and multilingual communication, it has also raised fundamental questions concerning human agency, professional identity, ethical responsibility, and the future of translation. This panel brings together researchers and practitioners to examine the changing relationship between human expertise and Artificial Intelligence through interdisciplinary perspectives.
The discussion will explore how translators increasingly operate within hybrid human–AI workflows, where post-editing, prompt engineering, and machine-assisted decision-making require new forms of expertise rather than merely replacing traditional linguistic skills. Panelists will critically assess the opportunities and limitations of generative AI, questioning how it reshapes notions of authorship, creativity, accountability, and professional autonomy.
Particular attention will be given to the ethical challenges posed by the use algorithms, embedded cultural and linguistic biases, copyright and privacy concerns, and the environmental and social implications of large-scale language technologies.
A further focus of the panel is AI translation in specialized and regulated domains, where fluent output may conceal errors with serious consequences for end users. In such contexts, human expertise increasingly shifts upstream, encoded in terminologies, domain rules, and knowledge graphs that guide AI systems, raising questions about where human agency is exercised and who defines the translator's role within the workflow.
The panel will also examine translation from a posthuman perspective, reconsidering translators as mediators operating across linguistic, technological, ethical and cultural boundaries. Rather than viewing AI as either a threat or a replacement, contributors will investigate collaborative models in which human judgment, intercultural competence, and ethical reasoning remain central to the translation process.
Finally, the discussion will address the enduring importance of expert assessment as a framework for evaluating AI-generated translations. Expert assessment remains essential for identifying nuanced linguistic choices, contextual appropriateness, cultural resonance, and ethical implications that AI generated translations frequently overlook. By integrating theoretical reflection with practical case studies, this panel aims to foster a nuanced dialogue on how translation studies can respond to technological disruption while reaffirming the value of human expertise, critical evaluation, and socially responsible innovation in the evolving landscape of multilingual communication.
Panel Moderator: Nefeli Antonopoulou, Learning Programme Manager - Global Localisation Operations at Pixelogic Media (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nefeliantonopoulou/)
Panelists:
1. Effie Emmanouilidou, English>Greek Medical-Technical Translator and Reviewer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/effie-emmanouilidou/?skipRedirect=true)
2. Viveta Gene, Head of Global Localization Solutions and Innovation, Intertranslations UK, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Intepreting, Ionian University (https://www.linkedin.com/in/viveta-gene-phd-04b9318/)
3. Nikoletta Kaponi, Localization Manager at Workable (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolettakaponi)
4. Vasso Pouli, Business Transformation Enabler | Localization (https://www.linkedin.com/in/vasso-pouli/)
Introduction by Ifigeneia Roulia, Freelance Translator/Editor/Interpreter | Adjunct Faculty at Hellenic American University | Chapter Manager at Women in Localization - GR Chapter (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifigeneia-roulia-46538769/).
Ifigeneia Roulia has been working as a freelance translator/editor/proofreader since 2010 and as a freelance interpreter since 2013, with specialization in life sciences, legal and financial texts and court interpreting. As a freelancer, she has co-operated with various companies. Since September 2017 she has been Adjunct Faculty at Hellenic American University, teaching translation and terminology. She is a member of the Panhellenic Association of Translators, the Hellenic Society for Translation Studies and the European Society for Translation studies. Since 2023, she has also served in many voluntary roles in the translation industry: LocLunch Ambassador for Athens, Greece, Mentor for Women in Localization, Chapter Manager of Women in Localization-Greece Chapter, Team Lead at the MH&W Program of Women in Localization and member of the AI working group of the Panhellenic Association of Translators.
Nefeli Antonopoulou studied linguistics and educational policy and is currently the Learning Programme Manager - Global Localisation Operations at Pixelogic Media. She has worked in creative (Hogarth, TAG) and audiovisual (Deluxe, Pixelogic) translation, always from the standpoint of project, operations and product management. Nefeli is actively engaged in initiatives for the professional advancement of women (Women in Localization) and the connection of academia with industry (EGA, Roehampton, UCL).
Dr. Viveta Gene is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Ionian University (Department of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting), in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Vilelmini Sosoni, where her work centers on Knowledge Graph-Mediated Translation (KGMT) as a framework for compliance-aware multilingual communication in regulated industries. She holds a PhD in Translation and New Technologies from the same institution. A recognized industry expert with over 20 years of experience, Viveta serves as Head of Global Localization Solutions and Innovation at Intertranslations UK, where she leads corporate AI localization strategies and workflows. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA) and is the author of the official GALA Common Machine Translation Post-Editing Protocol.
Vasso is Chief Commercial Officer at Sandberg Translation Partners, a leading UK-based LSP specializing in Nordic languages, and founder of NVLoc, which helps companies operating in multiple markets set up and run effective localization programs that drive market share and revenue growth. Vasso holds a BA in English Language & Literature with a focus on Linguistics and an MA in Scientific Translation. She entered the translation world and has worked in the localization industry since 2006, joining language service provider Commit Global as an intern. Over the 18 years that followed, she moved through roles in translation, editing, project management, and operations, taking on the CEO role in 2017. Within her first five years as CEO, she transformed the company and led it through a successful acquisition by private equity, eventually exiting as Chief Executive Officer. A proponent of women's empowerment in the professional space, Vasso was a founding member of the Women in Localization Greece Chapter and a Pathway Architect, and remains a mentor with Women in Localization Global and WHEN-org. She is also the mom of an extraordinary girl!
