Last updated: 14 November 2025

‘Generative AI’ refers to artificial intelligence systems that can create new content (text, images, audio, video) based on patterns they’ve learned from vast amounts of existing data. Large Language Models (LLMs) are a type of generative AI specifically designed to process and generate human language. LLMs include tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini.

These technologies are developing rapidly and sparking important conversations across all industries, including translation and communication.

Like many professionals, I’m learning about AI’s potential and limitations. The technology is impressive in many ways – it can process information quickly and spot patterns across huge datasets. However, it also comes with significant concerns, which I take very seriously:

Environmental impact: Training and running these models requires enormous amounts of energy and water, contributing to climate change at a time when we should be reducing our energy footprint.

Data bias: The systems learn from existing content on the internet. This means that they can perpetuate and amplify existing biases around gender, race, culture, and language. They also tend towards a kind of homogenisation, flattening the distinctive voices, cultural nuances, and creative turns of phrase that make communication interesting and authentic.

Copyright concerns: Many of these systems have been trained on copyrighted material without permission or compensation to the original creators. I find this extremely troubling.

I’ve been a specialist French to English translator for 23 years because I love language. I’m interested in how it shapes our thinking, how it trasmits culture, the way a well-chosen word can make all the difference.

I value the human voice. The particular way your business speaks to its customers. The cultural nuances that make French different from English in ways that go far beyond vocabulary. The creative solutions that come from really understanding what you’re trying to achieve and not just what your text says.

AI doesn’t understand your business. It doesn’t know why you chose that particular turn of phrase, or what your customers respond to, or what matters most to you. It can’t have a conversation with you about whether « challenging mountain route » or « demanding alpine trail » better captures the experience you’re offering, because it doesn’t actually understand the difference between a walk that tests your limits and one that rewards your effort or why that distinction matters to the walkers you want to reach. It won’t know whether to describe that sunset viewpoint as « panoramic » or « breathtaking, » or understand that one suggests scope while the other promises emotion. And it can’t grasp why « family-friendly circuit » might work better than « easy loop walk » for your audience because it doesn’t know that families want reassurance about accessibility, not just a difficulty rating.

I do. Many years of experience have given me not just linguistic knowledge, but the ability to hear what you really need and deliver what works for you.

These uses are limited, anonymised, and never replace human judgement or expertise.

Technology changes quickly and I’m committed to staying up-to-date about developments in AI and their implications for my profession.

I will continue to:

• monitor how these technologies develop;
• consider potential benefits and risk;
• be aware of environmental and ethical implications;
• listen to what you as my clients need and value;
• update this policy as appropriate.

If you have questions about this policy, or you’d like to discuss more about how I work, I’m happy to chat. Contact me here.