To me, the most unsettling aspect of AI is the concept of singularity, where human intelligence is surpassed by an exponentially advancing artificial intelligence. However, even in our current state, artificial intelligence is already presenting smaller yet impactful scenarios.
There are individuals who have an intense desire to climb Mount Everest. They spend years preparing, invest significant amounts of money, exhaust themselves during the climb, and put their lives at risk. Do you relate to this? Or would you prefer to reach the summit comfortably in a helicopter and enjoy the view? This analogy can also be applied to the challenge of learning a foreign language.
Two recent experiences in my life led me to contemplate this idea. A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon a video of myself from 2018 in Hangzhou, China. I was struggling to deliver impromptu remarks to a group of AI enthusiasts from Shanghai who had traveled a long distance to meet me. Despite dedicating years to studying Chinese, I felt anxious and unprepared when they asked me to speak a few words in Chinese for those who couldn’t attend. Eventually, I obliged, but my nerves were evident. Recently, I mustered the courage to watch that video, and I was surprised. I saw someone who was not only working hard to express themselves in a challenging language but also doing a decent job. Despite my insecurities, I showed courage and determination. This reflection made me proud of my 2018 self.
On a separate occasion, I spent hours writing heartfelt condolence emails in Italian to the family of my dear friend Benedetto Scimemi after his passing. I have lived in Italy for almost three years, and Italian has been the language my children and I have spoken for 30 years. Although my Italian is fluent, it is not that of a native speaker. While writing those emotional emails, I meticulously selected my words, reminiscing about Benedetto and our shared experiences. I pushed the limits of my Italian language skills, occasionally referring to a heavy dictionary by my computer. I felt my words truly represented me, reflecting my genuine love for my late friend. Once again, I felt a sense of pride in my ability to express myself with clarity, strength, and authenticity in a language that is not my mother tongue.
Throughout my life, I have studied several languages to varying degrees. I jokingly refer to myself as “pilingual” because if you were to calculate my proficiency in all the languages I’ve tackled, it would amount to a little over three. I assign English a value of one, French 0.8, Italian 0.7, and the rest decreasingly from there. However, what truly matters is the passion I have for each language. The sounds, words, intonation patterns, idioms, proverbs, poetry, and songs of different languages have captivated my mind. Learning these languages has been a relentless pursuit fueled by curiosity and a thirst for understanding the unique logic of each foreign tongue.
Yet, in today’s world, we have powerful tools like Google Translate, DeepL, and ChatGPT. These technologies allow anyone, even a monolingual person who has never dedicated a moment to learning a specific language, to produce fluent passages in that language. Sending an email in an unfamiliar language has become effortless. With a simple click on the “Translate” button, voila! However, the resulting text often lacks soul, appearing slick but impersonal.
Imagine if the Shanghai AI club had asked me to speak in English, and they used speech recognition, translation, and speech synthesis apps to instantly convert my words into Chinese. They could even use my voice, reproducing it in Mandarin flawlessly. While this technological approach would have avoided the struggle of expressing myself in their language, it would have deprived viewers of witnessing key aspects of my personality. They would not have seen me grappling for Chinese words, sensing my insecurity, vulnerability, and determination. Instead, they would only perceive an American speaking casually in their native tongue, albeit in perfect Chinese. The genuine effort and countless hours I had invested in learning their language would remain hidden. My ideas may have been conveyed, but those subtle aspects of my true self would have been lost.
Now, let me play devil’s advocate for a moment. Today’s AI technology enables instant and effortless communication between different cultures. Isn’t this a dream come true, uniting the world more closely? Isn’t it a miraculous development? Won’t a future where everyone effortlessly speaks every language be glorious?
Some readers may answer with an enthusiastic “yes,” but my response is a resounding “no.” I view this imminent scenario as a tragedy, signaling the decline of the age-old tradition of learning foreign languages. Not only in America but even in countries like Holland and Sweden, renowned for their citizens’ impressive multilingualism. The issue lies in the inherent human inclination to take shortcuts.
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