Globalization and technological innovation have joined forces to radically alter work processes and relationships. Andrzej Zydroń, CTO of XML-INTL and OSCAR Chairperson, underlined this trend in his (very personal and honest) vision for global information management for the next ten years in Future Directions for Translation Technology: Preparing for Automated Language Processing last month at the LISA Forum Europe in Zurich.

Zydroń confirmed that the translation/localization industry has done an incredible job of adapting to new conditions and has fulfilled its role well. However, he believes that the next ten years will resemble a scary roller coaster ride. Until now, it has been a bit like being on a tricycle, with all of us pedaling away. However, very soon, the industry will switch to 42-ton trucks, and the result (unless we prepare ourselves) may well be a lot of “roadkill” (i.e., dead animals killed on busy highways).

In the following article, Nancy Locke focuses on this same fundamental shift, in an effort to stimulate discussion of the stakes involved for translation agencies and precious human resources.