I am augmented!
And I offer enhanced solutions.
by Rico Paul Vallejos

I am often asked if, when wearing my writer or translator hat, I am concerned about AI taking over the profession. Here's my response.

My native language is Spanish (Argentine Spanish). My fascination with languages ignited in my teens, starting with French, Hebrew, and Greek, and as a young adult with Portuguese, English, and a touch of Finnish. This linguistic journey laid the foundation for a career dedicated to the intricate world of words.

At 25, I embarked on a career in language and language technology. I enjoyed the human interaction of hiring, training, and managing Machine Translation teams (MT modules for French, German, and Spanish automated translation). Yet, at the time, the output of MT left much to be desired, highlighting the indispensable human element in linguistic precision.

Fast-forward to today's powerful AI tools. As a wordsmith, I'm captivated by the ever-evolving human-machine collaboration, particularly the remarkable advancements in deep learning NLP/NLG. I now leverage this technology, not as a replacement, but as an enhancement to human expertise.

When I use AI, I rely on specialized linguistic tools, an R&D crawler, and semantic analysis algorithms. My use of AI is also meticulously tailored to client contracts – some restrict it, others offer more flexibility – ensuring ethical and compliant practices.

I love this dance with technology. It goes beyond boosting productivity: It inspires new ways of thinking, even when some of the thinking is done by a machine. This dynamic interaction broadens perspectives and refines the very craft of communication.

Bottom line: I've always enjoyed copyediting, and now a lot of it involves editing copy generated by AI, transforming raw output into compelling, nuanced narratives.

Critical skill for today's professional landscape: The ability to unlearn, and shed some of the "productivity habits" taught to us by a lot of formal education. Sometimes we emerge from deep dives to find a new world where what we discovered and learned is no longer viable or even valid. Embracing this continuous evolution is key to thriving.