Thanks for that input, Brian. I plan to write another piece about that whole 'Whither languages/linguists?' issue at some future date.

Right now, I can't see many people queuing up to pay x thousands of GBP/USD - or in civilised countries with free/inexpensive higher education, simply 4 years of their life - to study languages, much less specialise in translation.

Aside from the cultural loss that will represent - reducing our diverse global linguistic heritage to a homgenised gruel of dubious ingredients spewed from a machine - in my specific sector it raises the issue of 'who proofreads the computer's translations?'.

Because when my generation retire, the machines will still require human input to maintain current standards and achieve higher levels, but won't have any experienced experts to oversee them. We then get into a garbage in-garbage out feedback loop like Alvin Lucier's I Am Sitting in a Room.