ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Electricity

Maria Laura Curzi — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 18:53:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Maria Laura Curzi
Post title: Electricity

It's simple, AI doesn't work at all without electricity, period. Without electricity, AI is unnecessary.

Humans, on the other hand, can do a lot of things without electricity, one of them being writing.

ProZ should stop the abuse of AI; it's turning the brains of the human staff that "think" up these moronic polls unnecessary and is enshittifying the whole platform.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | AI will make or do nothing

IrinaN (X) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 08:28:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: IrinaN (X)
Post title: AI will make or do nothing

Humans will, to themselves and all by themselves. What's the point of blaming supply where there is plenty of demand?

It's amusing yet petrifying to watch how willingly, happily, readily, tail-waggingly, quick-money-makingly humans hand their brain power over to the machines without reservations, backstepping farther and farther with deep bows.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Always scary

Philip Lees — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:04:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Always scary

[quote]The Shredder wrote:

My partner inhabits the corporate world and it seems to be at that stage already.

Not only writing plans and strategies but coming up with the structure and content.

To a standard that most seem happy to accept.

I find it scary. [/quote]
But is the material the AIs are coming up with any worse than what human beings were coming up with before?

I think not. Here's an actual excerpt from a proposal prepared by human beings at a former workplace of mine many years ago.

"Objective: To maximize the openness, balance, coherence and timeliness of contributions channeled towards specific standardization and interoperability initiatives."

I was so impressed by it, I included it in a story - about an AI :).

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Using AI to talk about AI?

David Mossop — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: David Mossop
Post title: Using AI to talk about AI?

[quote]Giada Nadalini wrote:

Removing human expertise wouldn't accelerate progress, it would degrade it.

If human linguistic staff were removed, the system wouldn't improve - it would stagnate.

Models don't replace linguistic judgment. They amplify or expose its absence. [/quote]

At the almost-certain risk of sounding like a smartarse, one of the dead giveaways of AI-generated writing is constrastive rhetorical scaffolding - "It's not X, but Y", "It wouldn't X, it would Y", etc.

[Edited at 2026-01-21 16:02 GMT]

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Standards

Gerard Barry — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 15:18:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Gerard Barry
Post title: Standards

[quote]The Shredder wrote:

My partner inhabits the corporate world and it seems to be at that stage already.

Not only writing plans and strategies but coming up with the structure and content.

To a standard that most seem happy to accept.

I find it scary. [/quote]

Maybe - like with AI-produced translations - people are willing to accept these standards because they're actually pretty good?

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | True

Lingua 5B — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 08:44:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: True

[quote]Jeff Whittaker wrote:

For example, if AI had existed in the 1950s and started autonomously creating and writing television programs, we would probably all still be watching westerns today.

[Edited at 2026-01-20 23:19 GMT] [/quote]

Yes, but what would the corporate world know about creative and innovative writing anyways?

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | AI can't come up with new and innovative ideas

Jeff Whittaker — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 23:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Jeff Whittaker
Post title: AI can't come up with new and innovative ideas

For example, if AI had existed in the 1950s and started autonomously creating and writing television programs, we would probably all still be watching westerns today.

[Edited at 2026-01-20 23:19 GMT]

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Already there

The Shredder — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:35:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: The Shredder
Post title: Already there

My partner inhabits the corporate world and it seems to be at that stage already.

Not only writing plans and strategies but coming up with the structure and content.

To a standard that most seem happy to accept.

I find it scary.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | And we’re all going to turn into wordless zombies...

expressisverbis — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 16:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: And we’re all going to turn into wordless zombies...

Oh no, AI will make human writing unnecessary?
Quick, someone alert the masses! We must all prepare to live in eternal silence, unable to speak, write, or even fart!
This doom-and-gloom talk makes it sound like we’re all going to turn into wordless zombies, but in reality, we’re just getting one more tool like a translation assistant, as I said before.
The real issue isn’t AI itself, it’s people using it incorrectly.
I’ve seen agencies using entirely AI translations, with no human oversight!
That’s not just sloppy, it’s DANGEROUS for quality, nuance, and credibility. I think that’s the serious problem we should be discussing, not some imaginary apocalypse.
Translators have always been needed, and now even more so.
With AI everywhere, anyone can churn out a rough translation, but those who care about quality will always turn to specialized professionals. Human expertise isn’t going away if anything, it’s becoming more valuable.
That's my opinion.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Writing? What writing?

Liena V. — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:10:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Liena V.
Post title: Writing? What writing?

1 in 10 Dutch citizens are likely to ask AI for election advice: [url removed]
But surely there's nothing wrong as long as it's "supervised", right?

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | You mean like ....

Daryo — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 01:47:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Daryo
Post title: You mean like ....

[quote]Justin Peterson wrote:

Yes, using AI without any control IS a major risk

Which is why translators, increasingly, will be reviewers, proofreaders, QC experts, revisors... not "old-school" translators.

I think a lot of professionals equate AI usage and AI usage without any human intervention; that is, using AI INSTEAD OF a translator, instead of a translator using AI to increase their productivity and precision.

I'm surprised by people's impressions that these tools are "clunky", "crappy", "unreliable"...really?

The adjectives that come to my mind are: "mind-blowing", "revolutionary", "unbelievable"

Of course, there's part of me that would like to think they're useless, as part of me would like to go back to "old-fashioned" translating... but that's not gonna happen

quote]Zea_Mays wrote:

It will be used for irrelevant and mass content like now (the web is full of AI generated junk). Since its output is unpredictable and not trustworthy, using these bots without any control is a major risk. It's just a matter of time until the first big damage caused by the crappy tools will occur. [/quote] [/quote]

Yes, using AI without any control IS a major risk

You mean like you told us before that using 'AI interpreting in courts' is perfectly fine, nothing to worry about, as long as it's 'supervised'?

Little 'technical detail': HOW are you going to 'supervise' any AI? By using another AI for that? Or real experts? If you include real and effective supervision by real experts then the 'net gain' of using AI evaporates. Kind of Catch-22?

Another 'small fly in the (future) ointment': sooner or later someone somewhere WILL find a way to create an artificial thing that really IS intelligent - more and more so - at some point tens or hundreds of times more intelligent than any human. How do you imagine humans could 'supervise' such thing? Sure, if you really believe cavemen could 'supervise' an intergalactic expedition, then why not...

I'm surprised by people's impressions that these tools are "clunky", "crappy", "unreliable"...really?

Ahem ... you send an email saying: 'I might be interested in your services, but I need some information I can't find on your website' and all you get as reply is 'I need your customer number first'.

That must the kind of 'intelligent' answers that happen only in some alternative universe?

The adjectives that come to my mind are: "mind-blowing", "revolutionary", "unbelievable"

That oddly sounds like dreams induced by taking too much AI Kool-Aid. You could always try waking up and smelling the coffee ...

As for: 'will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?' - no need to worry about that, the real question is 'what will some future real AI do with humanity when it concludes it's 'become unnecessary'?

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Already happening

Maria Laura Curzi — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:48:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Maria Laura Curzi
Post title: Already happening

[quote]Giada Nadalini wrote:

[quote]Maria Laura Curzi wrote:

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of slop content that catastrophe will create... And the brain rot damage that teachers will have to deal with as a "reward".

If all this AI-hyped obsession continues, it will make ProZ human staff unnecessary sooner.
[/quote]

If anything, the quality of the output depends directly on the quality of the human input and oversight.
Removing human expertise wouldn't accelerate progress, it would degrade it.
If human linguistic staff were removed, the system wouldn't improve - it would stagnate.
Models don't replace linguistic judgment. They amplify or expose its absence. [/quote]

IMHO, ProZ as a platform has already stagnated in terms of improvement. During the last 2-3 years, we have been witnessing the development of a "new/Next" site that still isn't finished, not to mention that it's being done under the public eye, exposing users' private data (which is a GDPR violation).

Another proof is that the amount of scams has grown because human staff isn't used anymore to review/vet job ads. Instead, there's an automatic system doing it. In that case, the system isn't stagnant, it fails big time, which is far worse.
It seems that ProZ's obsession/abuse of using AI systems has enshittified the platform rather than stagnated, and the "new/Next" site is already sloped.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | No friendly chat with the shopkeeper

Tom in London — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:21:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Tom in London
Post title: No friendly chat with the shopkeeper

[quote]Philip Lees wrote:

And that includes having a friendly chat with the shopkeeper.
. [/quote]

a friendly chat with the shopkeeper has been abolished. We are not supposed to interact socially.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Writing? Perhaps. Engineering documentation? Never.

Jarosław Bąk — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:56:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Jarosław Bąk
Post title: Writing? Perhaps. Engineering documentation? Never.

There is a fundamental difference between 'content creation' and 'technical precision'. AI can mimic human style, but it lacks the professional liability and the deep understanding of engineering intent.

In my niche—robotics and ATEX-certified machinery—a mistranslated safety instruction or a wrong torque value isn't just a 'linguistic error'; it's a potential multi-million euro kinematic failure or a safety hazard.

AI doesn't understand the 'why' behind a specific mechanical constraint. Until AI can take legal and technical responsibility for a factory shutdown or a machinery accident, human expertise in safety-critical sectors remains irreplaceable. We aren't just 'writers' anymore—we are language engineers and risk managers.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Chat

Philip Lees — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:42:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Chat

[quote]Tom in London wrote:

4. If you always go to the same store, you will soon memorise where everything is displayed. With your shopping list in your hand, walk quickly round the place picking up the items on the list. Then go to pay. I can get this done in under 10 minutes. [/quote]
And that includes having a friendly chat with the shopkeeper.

It works fine in local shops. The big supermarkets periodically move stuff around so you can't find it.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | AI doesn't replace linguistic expertise - it exposes its necessity.

Giada Nadalini — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Giada Nadalini
Post title: AI doesn't replace linguistic expertise - it exposes its necessity.

[quote]Maria Laura Curzi wrote:

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of slop content that catastrophe will create... And the brain rot damage that teachers will have to deal with as a "reward".

If all this AI-hyped obsession continues, it will make ProZ human staff unnecessary sooner.
[/quote]

AI doesn't generate language in a vacuum.
Large Language models are trained on human-produced data, curated, filtered, evaluated, and continously corrected by people such as linguists, reviewers, annotators, teachers.

If anything, the quality of the output depends directly on the quality of the human input and oversight.
Removing human expertise wouldn't accelerate progress, it would degrade it.
If human linguistic staff were removed, the system wouldn't improve - it would stagnate.
Models don't replace linguistic judgment. They amplify or expose its absence.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | No.

Giada Nadalini — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:31:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Giada Nadalini
Post title: No.

[quote]Abdelaziz Abdalli wrote:

It's not just the advancement of AI, it's the regression of human language. So it's a double-edged sword: AI is getting better and human language is getting poorer. Human linguistic expression will keep shrinking untill it's confined to some niche domains such as religious, artistic, literary, and philosophical expression; and even there, it will be very limited, as AI will be able to encroach on these domains as well. It's already obvious that we're headed in this direction and there is no end in sight.

Enjoy while it lasts! [/quote]

I don't think human linguistic expression is shrinking.
What we are seeing is a growing standardization of functional language, which has always happened with new technologies.
Expressive, intentional language doesn't disappear. It becomes more selective and deliberate.
What is disappearing is generic expression, not human linguistic depth.
Language doesn't shrink; it polarizes.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Agreed

Giada Nadalini — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 09:27:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Giada Nadalini
Post title: Agreed

[quote]Lieven Malaise wrote:

From a more practical point of view: only if it will ever make humans unnecessary. At this point there's no way of knowing that will ever happen.

From a more cultural point of view: even if AI would ever become as good as humans in writing, there will always be people feeling the need to write themselves and there will always be readers feeling the need to read what other humans have written, in my opinion.

[Bijgewerkt op 2026-01-15 08:28 GMT] [/quote]

May I also add that a human supervisor will always be needed. The ideas are born from the human brain, not the machine. The output can always be adapted or reviewed. If anything, this just makes the process smoother.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | and also....

Tom in London — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 08:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Tom in London
Post title: and also....

4. If you always go to the same store, you will soon memorise where everything is displayed. With your shopping list in your hand, walk quickly round the place picking up the items on the list. Then go to pay. I can get this done in under 10 minutes.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Mundane

Philip Lees — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 05:59:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Mundane

If I may inject a more mundane note here, I would say it depends on the human.

Shopping: essential points for success.

1. As soon as you realise you need something, write it on the shopping list. (I keep a pen and paper in the kitchen for this purpose.)

2. When the time comes to go shopping, remember to take the list with you.

3. When you're in the shop, remember to look at the list.

I speak as a person who doesn't use a smart phone. Nor do I have a robot in my house collecting data about my activities and preferences, and sending that information off to a remote server somewhere.

So for the foreseeable future, I don't see any reasonable replacement for my essential shopping list procedure, as outlined above. Certainly, AI is not going to help with any of it (though it can be very helpful in other areas).

This, of course, is quite apart from all the other writing I still do as part of my work, or just for pleasure.

But for making a quick note, scribbling something down with a pen or pencil is still the easiest way.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Humans are resilient

Christine Andersen — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 16:07:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Christine Andersen
Post title: Humans are resilient

AI consumes enormous amounts of electricity - resources, energy, water. Maybe we will try to conserve those and make use of humans when they are more efficient. We can always hope!

When the power runs out on a dark and not-very-stormy night, and the batteries go flat, humans can light a candle and carry on. When other forces, human or not, cut off the electricity for whole towns, humans can work out what to do when AI just stops.

Some humans simply like writing, telling stories and recording history - or making it up. They will not stop just because AI can do it too. Maybe these people will not be strictly necessary, but how will we pass the time when AI does all the work?

That'll be the day, my mother would say ironically. Will it clean up, sort the washing, put the children to bed and pick up their toys off the floor too? Maybe some of it, but bots are not always as good as the science fiction!

I think human backup wil be necessary for a long time, and some humans will keep writing just because they can, and because they have a message. If they can use AI to help, then fine. I just hope AI will work with us and not suffocate us all.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Slop

Maria Laura Curzi — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:10:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Maria Laura Curzi
Post title: Slop

I can't even begin to imagine the amount of slop content that catastrophe will create... And the brain rot damage that teachers will have to deal with as a "reward".

If all this AI-hyped obsession continues, it will make ProZ human staff unnecessary sooner.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Not AI, Humans will make themselves expendable

Trustlator — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:03:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Trustlator
Post title: Not AI, Humans will make themselves expendable

It's not just the advancement of AI, it's the regression of human language. So it's a double-edged sword: AI is getting better and human language is getting poorer. Human linguistic expression will keep shrinking untill it's confined to some niche domains such as religious, artistic, literary, and philosophical expression; and even there, it will be very limited, as AI will be able to encroach on these domains as well. It's already obvious that we're headed in this direction and there is no end in sight.

Enjoy while it lasts!

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | training material is the key

Zea_Mays — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:55:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: training material is the key

Currently, the AI chatbots' output is based on an immense - STOLEN! - heritage of human created content.
Wait and see what their output will be once they are fed with all that boring, identically sounding and often wrong content they produced by themself. This phenomen is called Garbage in, Garbage out (GIGO).

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | a preference is not a requirement

Charlie Bavington — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:45:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Charlie Bavington
Post title: a preference is not a requirement

The Q asks whether human writing will become "unnecessary".
I believe, in English anyway, it very well could.
That doesn't mean human writing will disappear. Just that it won't be necessary.
I suggest quite a lot of the comments rejecting the idea are underpinned by a continuation of the idea of people writing entire texts out of preference, or as a nice-to-have, an embellishment.
I'm not sure any of those things are strictly "necessary". Hence, as I say, I suspect AI could make human writing "unnecessary".

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | boring bots

Zea_Mays — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:43:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: boring bots

[quote]Justin Peterson wrote:

Which is why translators, increasingly, will be reviewers, proofreaders, QC experts, revisors... not "old-school" translators.
[/quote]

Wait until the current - highly experienced! - generation of translators leaves the market... Idiocracy ante portas (and partly already here)!

[quote]Justin Peterson wrote:

"mind-blowing", "revolutionary", "unbelievable"
[/quote]

Not when you consider that these bots only do probability calculations. Absolutely boring fact. They just do it quite fast.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | "without any control" is the key there

Justin Peterson — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:01:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Justin Peterson
Post title: "without any control" is the key there

Yes, using AI without any control IS a major risk

Which is why translators, increasingly, will be reviewers, proofreaders, QC experts, revisors... not "old-school" translators.

I think a lot of professionals equate AI usage and AI usage without any human intervention; that is, using AI INSTEAD OF a translator, instead of a translator using AI to increase their productivity and precision.

I'm surprised by people's impressions that these tools are "clunky", "crappy", "unreliable"...really?

The adjectives that come to my mind are: "mind-blowing", "revolutionary", "unbelievable"

Of course, there's part of me that would like to think they're useless, as part of me would like to go back to "old-fashioned" translating... but that's not gonna happen

quote]Zea_Mays wrote:

It will be used for irrelevant and mass content like now (the web is full of AI generated junk). Since its output is unpredictable and not trustworthy, using these bots without any control is a major risk. It's just a matter of time until the first big damage caused by the crappy tools will occur. [/quote]

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | some

Gregor Trebec — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:39:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: some

AI will be a cheap way not to pay for secretaries of some cheap solicitors, for example. In some brands there will be AI, but in other brands it won't be present or very little. People in charge now should think about controlling and pricing AI technology.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | Yawn

Lingua 5B — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:32:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Lingua 5B
Post title: Yawn

A really innovative poll question, we have never had a similar/same question before.

Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary? | NO

Zea_Mays — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:17:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: Will AI eventually make human writing unnecessary?
Poster: Zea_Mays
Post title: NO

It will be used for irrelevant and mass content like now (the web is full of AI generated junk). Since its output is unpredictable and not trustworthy, using these bots without any control is a major risk. It's just a matter of time until the first big damage caused by the crappy tools will occur.