Convergence 2026

The implementation of AI in the translation industry has raised concerns about its ethical implications. This trend has prompted a rediscovery of the long tradition of philosophical, anthropological, sociological and psychological inquiry that illuminates fundamental concepts such as intelligence, agency, cooperation, and human value.

This theme proposes that approaches to ethics in highly technological settings should place human concerns at the centre of discussion. The humanities should play a leading role in navigating this landscape of complex convergence. Papers submitted for this theme revisit long-standing concerns that have been embedded in discussions on ethics and put them to the test in this new and challenging technological environment. The theme unpacks conceptual frameworks that reveal conflicts between technological development agendas and real human needs, and to identify risks of unethical implementation of AI that may harm consumers and professionals, among other themes central to the future of translation and interpreting with AI.

This theme showcases innovative research that transcends current AI-driven methods to establish a new paradigm for AI-enabled digital accessibility. Submissions explore how AI technologies impact digital accessibility and the extent to which they can create more inclusive digital environments for diverse users.

Papers investigate approaches combining AI-powered technologies with human expertise to address the growing demand for accessible digital content across multiple modalities, including text, audio, visual, and multimodal formats, and domains, particularly where purely automated approaches struggle with accuracy, nuance, or contextual understanding, or where exclusively human-led methods are constrained by scale, time, or resources. Submissions integrate evidence from the humanities and social sciences in AI development, ensuring responsible solutions that align with real user needs and access requirements.

Beyond technical innovations, this topic highlights emerging applications of human-AI collaboration in creating personalised, accurate, and narratively coherent accessible content while addressing associated risks and ethical considerations.

The rise of Generative AI (GenAI) has sparked debates about creativity across text-producing professions. As technology continues to blur the boundaries between the personal/local and social/global, and between fast and slow cycles of content production, our understanding of language mediation evolves. This theme explores a potential ‘creative turn’ in translation practice, and research methodologies that capture the complexity and role of creativity in society. Topics include the following: 

• The impact of GenAI on contemporary (multilingual) text production and reception
• The definition of creativity in different sectors of the creative industries
• The definition of creativity in translation and its contribution to society
• The impact of creative output on society, be it as problem-solving, creating links between cultures, discovering underlying meaning or simply resisting what is mundane, cliché and uncreative.

This theme welcomes discussions on the broader and transformative impact of AI on the language industry. As AI technologies reshape translation, interpreting, and related professions, the roles and identities of language professionals are evolving and being redefined. This theme explores how language professionals respond to these shifts, and how human expertise - through adaptation, collaboration, and continuous skill development - can thrive in the era of AI.

Examples of topics relevant to this theme include:

• Emerging professional roles and workflows
• New competencies for human–computer interaction
• Continuing professional development in the era of AI
• The future of translator and interpreter education and training.

This theme explores how LLMs are transforming multilingual communication by enhancing translation, interpretation, and language accessibility. They examine the use of LLMs for real-time translation and interpreting support, as well as their role in assessing the quality and accuracy of human and machine-generated translations. Papers accepted in this theme discuss how generative AI can augment traditional machine translation systems, improving fluency, contextual accuracy, and cultural nuance. Beyond translation, the topic highlights emerging applications of LLMs in multilingual communication such as (parallel) corpus compilation, summarisation, sentiment transfer, and dialogue adaptation.

This theme explores how the increasing adoption of language AI is transforming multilingual communication in public institutions such as courts, healthcare, education, and social services. It focuses on the responsible and sustainable integration of technologies including machine translation, automatic speech recognition, and AI-assisted interpreting within institutional frameworks. Contributions analyse how these tools are introduced, governed, and evaluated, and how their use influences quality, accountability, and trust in service delivery. Emphasis is placed on applied evidence from real-world contexts – covering procurement, implementation, professional collaboration, quality assurance, and policy alignment. By examining both the opportunities and limitations of language AI, this strand highlights how human expertise, institutional responsibility, and transparent governance can ensure that innovation supports accessibility, equity, and the public good in multilingual public communication.