Under the slogan ‘Experience and Transformation in TISP’, the conference addressed even the most pessimistic assessments. Among the attendees, there was a shared conviction that the profession is at a turning point. On the one hand, the rise of tools such as ChatGPT or machine translation has overwhelmed universities’ capacity to integrate them judiciously, creating a digital literacy gap that directly affects the quality of education. On the other hand, global humanitarian crises (caused by armed conflicts, environmental disasters, or forced displacement) highlight the urgent need for mediation that no algorithm can manage on its own. As the organisers noted in the event’s conclusions, ‘it is not a question of resisting technological change or accepting it uncritically, but of advocating for informed integration, where human warmth and ethical responsibility are irreplaceable’.

The conference sessions highlighted the specific risks of the haphazard use of technology in high-risk environments, such as healthcare services, asylum processes, or the administration of justice. Errors in the translation of legal documents, medical forms, or applications for international protection can have devastating consequences, and the growing reliance on automated tools without clear protocols widens a gap that leaves migrants, linguistic minorities, and marginalised communities in a vulnerable position. But the focus was not solely on the machine. The mental health of the interpreters themselves, exposed to accounts of war, violence, and dispossession, emerged as one of the major concerns of the conference. Concepts such as vicarious trauma, gender bias in interpreting, and the use of minors as ad hoc interpreters featured prominently in debates seeking to establish ethical boundaries for a profession that often operates at the limits of what is humanly sustainable.

Far from stopping at diagnosis, PSIT9 showcased solutions that pointed the way forward for the field. The participants presented digital platforms that facilitate access to mental health care for migrant populations, technological tools designed specifically for multilingual communication in public services, pioneering training programmes that combine technological competence with humanitarian sensitivity, and new protocols for language mediation at borders and in humanitarian contexts.

The importance of interdisciplinary approaches integrating law, health, technology, and the social sciences in the training of future professionals was also highlighted, as was the growing interest in languages of lesser diffusion and contexts of vulnerability, traditionally neglected by language policies. Moreover, due to the support of the European Commission through the European Master’s in Translation (EMT) network, a specific workshop on ‘Translation and Accessibility’ was held in a hybrid format, strengthening the link between academia and the institutions that shape the continent’s language policies.

With over 80 contributions across presentations, panels, seminars, and posters, the conference held at the University of Alcalá served to consolidate a central idea: PSIT are not merely technical services but an essential tool for social cohesion, linguistic rights, and equitable access to basic services. The experts are clear on this: AI is not going to disappear, but the future of this field lies in combining technological innovation with proper training and recognition that has yet to materialise. And at the heart of it all, always, is the human interpreter. Because, as was said during the conference, when you are at a doctor’s appointment, applying for asylum, or in the midst of a humanitarian emergency, trust is not provided by an algorithm. It is provided by someone who, through skill and humanity, can bridge the gap between two worlds that would otherwise fail to understand one another.

Further information:

PSIT9 Conference