AI Safety in Translation and Interpreting: Standards, Ethics, and Practical Implications

This collaborative symposium—uniting the ATA Standards Committee, FIT North America, and FIT Latin America—will bring together translation and interpreting professionals from around the world to explore the ethical, practical, and standardization challenges posed by the integration of AI.

Participants will examine how to uphold safety, transparency, and professional integrity in an evolving landscape. With insights from leading experts, attendees will engage in meaningful discussions and connect with peers dedicated to shaping responsible AI practices in T&I. Don’t miss this essential opportunity to help define the future of ethical and effective AI use in our profession.

About the Presenters

Mohamed Khemakhem has a PhD in natural language processing with significant practical AI experience gained through industry leadership. He previously spearheaded the integration of ontologies and AI into biomedical data analysis across multiple projects. Now chief executive officer of MandaNetwork, an officially certified training provider, he develops AI-based knowledge systems and training programs focused on responsible AI adoption. His expertise extends to standardization, where he has been a key contributor to ISO/TC 37 “Language and Terminology” since 2017. He serves as convenor of the ISO/TC 37/SC 3/WG 6 “Terminology Management and AI.” He also convenes the AFNOR X03A expert group on “Intelligence Artificielle, Langues, Langage et Terminologie,” facilitating cross-domain discussion on AI, language, and standards. He also participates in the French NSB’s AI activities, particularly on ethics and trustworthiness, contributing to discussions that informed European frameworks such as the AI Act.

Fred Bane is director of data science at TransPerfect in Barcelona, where he has led a research team focused on machine translation and NLP since 2019. Prior to this, he worked for 10 years as a Chinese translator before obtaining an MS in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He also has a master’s degree in ethnology from Nanjing University. His research interests include translation evaluation, language modeling, epistemology, and cross-cultural studies.

Andy Benzo is a legal translator, interpreter, and expert in legal language with over 35 years of experience specializing in English-to-Spanish translation. She has degrees in law and translation from Argentina and has taught legal and business translation at the University of California, San Diego Extension. A certified translator and long-standing member of ATA since 1999, Andy currently serves as ATA president-elect and chairs both the Divisions Committee and Governance and Communications Committee. Andy is an international speaker on the intersection of AI, ethics, language, and law. She has presented extensively on legal translation, civil and common law systems, and the future of multilingual communication. She also contributes to the development of translation and interpreting standards as a U.S. expert in ISO and an active collaborator with ASTM.

Giovanna Carriero-Contreras is a leader in the language services industry with over 30 years of experience in interpreting and translation. She is the founder of Cesco Linguistic Services and T360nBeyond, as well as a visionary in the field, shaping industry standards through her work with ASTM, ISO, ATA, ALC, and AAITE, where she serves as acting chair and chair-elect. Giovanna played a pivotal role in co-authoring The Community Interpreter textbook and training program, developing the AAITE National Code of Ethics, and leading key projects in ISO interpreting standards. A recipient of the 2020 Bill Daniels Ethical Leader of the Year award, she is dedicated to advancing professional ethics, training, and language access initiatives in alignment with ongoing efforts to address the evolving impact of AI technologies and legislative changes.

Alan Melby started working on machine translation projects in 1970. By 1979, he had shifted his focus toward tools for human translators, provoked by an intellectual crisis regarding the nature of human language. In the 1980s, he became an ATA-certified French-to-English translator and began serving within the leadership of ATA and the International Federation of Translators (FIT) while continuing to explore philosophy. He is currently chair of FIT North America, chair of the Standards Committee of FIT Global, and president of LTAC Global, a nonprofit focused on serving the language community. His current interests include TBX (the main international standard for representing the content of a termbase), MQM (a framework for the analytic evaluation of translation quality), and promoting the use of standardized labels on translation output.

Nora Díaz is an English-Spanish translator and conference interpreter who enjoys using technology and finding ways to increase productivity, which, combined with her love of teaching, has led her to share what she has learned through a blog, articles, webinars, and workshops. Nora is the chair of ATA’s Professional Development Committee. She is also one of the co-organizers of the AI in Translation Summit, the Innovation in Translation Summit, and the Innovation in Interpreting Summit. She has co-authored a book called The Translator’s Tool Box. Nora was listed as one of the Top 30 Women in the Language Industry by Multilingual Magazine in 2023 and was the recipient of ATA’s Innovation Award in 2024.