Summary: A recent study highlights the cognitive benefits of Interlingual Respeaking (IRSP), where language professionals collaborate with speech recognition software to create live subtitles in another language. This process, which combines simultaneous translation with the addition of punctuation and content labels, was the focus of a 25-hour upskilling course involving 51 language professionals.

The course showed significant improvements in executive functioning and working memory. Researchers emphasize that such training not only enhances cognitive abilities but also equips language professionals for the rapidly evolving AI-driven language industry.

Key Facts:

Interpreters, translators and subtitlers should not fear artificial intelligence (AI), as training in new forms of real-time human-AI interaction (HAII) can increase their working memory and task-switching abilities.

The project focused on Interlingual Respeaking (IRSP), a new practice where live subtitles in another language are created through the collaboration of human and speech recognition software.

IRSP is a cognitively demanding, real-time process where a language professional simultaneously translates incoming spoken language whilst also adding punctuation and content labels orally, as well as applying any editing required to speech recognition software that turns what the language professional says into subtitles.

The research included a purpose-made 25-hour upskilling course on IRSP (involving 51 language professionals), exploring its effects on cognition, particularly executive functioning (EF) and working memory (WM) that were measured before and after the course.

Dr Anna-Stiina Wallinheimo, Research Fellow at CTS with expertise in Cognitive Psychology and Fellow of Surrey’s Institute for People-Centred AI said:

“Our research findings demonstrate that training in new forms of real-time human-AI interaction, such as Interlingual Respeaking, can enhance the cognitive abilities of language professionals, giving them an advantage in a quickly evolving industry.”

Dr Elena Davitti, Associate Professor at CTS and Principal Investigator of the project said:

“The language industry, marked by the rapid growth of AI-related technologies like automatic speech recognition and machine translation, has seen an increased reliance on human-AI interaction. Our research provides valuable empirical insights into the cognitive demands of these complex practices, paving the way for enhanced approaches to upskilling.”

As AI continues to reshape the landscape of language-related practices, this study not only highlights the crucial role of human-AI collaboration but also identifies language professionals’ need for continuous exploration and adaptation in an ever-evolving field.

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