 
Author: Marco Trombetti, CEO, Translated
As the list of companies citing the effectiveness of AI as a reason for workforce restructuring grows, many are quick to speculate on the future of work and assume that the next logical step for AI is towards replacing humans. But, from where I sit, at the crossroads of translation and the fields of AI, the most compelling change is not only that AI takes its place, but how AI learns, or fails, to understand the human dimension – ultimately the human touch – behind every action or activity.
As a true believer that language is the most important thing in human evolution, I founded Translated in 1999 to help people translate their words, and cultures, around the world, allowing everyone to understand and be understood in their own language. As AI enables the possibilities of increased communication, I believe our industry is the perfect place to look globally.
First, because it was through the combination of language and AI that it began to be used in large numbers: in the form of large languages that answer our questions in full sentences and adapt their answers based on our preferences. Decades of research into machine translation – and indeed language – have powered this. AI in turn enables language translation. However, despite its increasing speed and accuracy, one thing remains very clear to experts: it does not replace the need for human sensitivity. Instead, it can perform repetitive and complex tasks that take up the time of skilled professionals and allow them to focus on the complexities of their role, especially those parts of translation that are deeply steeped in emotion and ‘personality.’
Human-centered intelligence
In many businesses, the conversation around AI is still focused on productivity gains and potential workforce displacement: ‘Which jobs will go?’ and ‘How many will be left?’ We see these questions being asked again and again and, of course, it is important to provide answers to them, not only for those who fear change but also for future generations who wonder what the world of work will look like for them. However, perhaps the most important questions are ‘What do people do best?’ and ‘How can AI enable us to do more of this?’
The question is no longer what jobs AI can do, but how it can augment human capabilities
Undoubtedly, for AI to work in partnership with workers, the next stage of progress will be in understanding it better. In this case, Translated is leading the first project: DVPS (Diversibus Viis Plurima Solvo), supported by a European seed investment of €29m for 20 partners in nine countries, to directly address this challenge. DVPS is about moving beyond language models that digest text and images collected in the past, and models that sense sight, sound, and sensory input, models that engage in real-time with the physical world and are more contextually aware.
Equally, this progress must be properly assessed and managed, and international negotiations are necessary to achieve this. I was recently invited to participate in the World Assembly of the Brotherhood of Man in Rome. The discussion saw top AI scientists, including Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, widely cited AI scientist Yoshua Bengio, and professor and leading author Stuart Russell, gather to share their insights with Pope Leo XIV on the social, cultural and ethical dimensions of AI. The message was clear: AI should work for humanity, not destroy its dignity, and should focus on interaction and care. Not surprisingly, the group agreed that the two most important impacts AI could have are ‘scientific discovery’ and ‘universal human understanding.’
Leading in an era of understanding
For leaders and organizations, the way forward requires a change of perspective. The question is no longer what jobs AI can do, but how it can augment human capabilities. The most successful companies will be those that invest in understanding and context rather than just efficiency. True leadership in the age of AI means embedding empathy and ethics at the core of innovation, ensuring that technology enhances what is most human about us: our ability to care, interpret and communicate.
The next decade of AI will not be defined by fewer jobs and faster machines. It will be defined by machines that understand human situations, emotions, and values, and people who use that understanding to do what only humans can do: build relationships, create culture, and lead with meaning.
When machines finally understand that a sentence is not just a sentence, but an expression of human intent, when it can distinguish not just words but tone, gesture, and cultural context, we will move from self-transformation to augmentation. That is the moment when AI becomes a true partner in human development. The true progress of AI will not be measured by how many jobs disappear, but by how many new forms of human value emerge.
