The Transformation of the Translator's Profession in the AI Era

This article analyses the transformation of the translator's profession under the impact of artificial intelligence, with a focus on literary translation. The evolution of translation technology is traced from computer-assisted translation (CAT) to neural machine translation (NMT) and large language models (LLMs), and the changing division of labour between human translators and machines is examined. The concept of the translator's new professional identity is developed: from 'creator' to 'creator-controller', integrating classical translation competence with technological, diagnostic, and evaluative skills. Empirical observations show that translators who master post-editing work faster without quality loss, while those who resist technological change face declining competitiveness. The article proposes a framework for professional transition: retraining programmes, new specialisations (literary post-editor, MT quality evaluator, corpus curator), and adaptation of professional ethics. The conclusion argues that AI does not eliminate the translator but redefines the profession's centre of gravity: from production to supervision, from execution to judgement.