First-of-Its-Kind Ethical AI Guidance for Interpreting Released by SAFE-AI Task Force

On June 26, 2024, the Interpreting SAFE-AI Task Force launched its Guidance for the Safe and Ethical use of AI in Interpreting. This comprehensive document is the product of extensive surveys, studies, and stakeholder engagement over the past year. The Guidance sets clear ethical principles and practical examples to ensure AI technologies enhance the quality and standards of accountability, safety, and transparency in language interpretation.

The Task Force, with over 50 active members and a global network of more than 600 volunteers, views this Guidance as a crucial step in defining the roles of humans and machines in interpreting. "We see this as essential for delineating the role of the human and machine," stated Dr. Bill Rivers, Task Force Chair.

The Guidance provides an ethical framework for AI in interpreting services across various settings, emphasizing key principles like end-user autonomy, safety, transparent operations, human oversight, and privacy. The document was developed through a dual-track research initiative supported by case studies on AI's real-world impact in interpreting scenarios.

One track involved a multi-language perception survey by CSA Research, covering over 9,400 data points. The other was a qualitative study by the Advisory Group on AI and Sign Language Interpreting, engaging nearly 50 members from various sectors and over 500 participants.

The Task Force's next initiative is to create ethical guidelines for human interpreters working with AI. To read the full Guidance, visit https://safeaitf.org/guidance/.