Ep. 62 - The ATA President-elect on AI, certification, and the future of our profession.

What does the future look like for translators and interpreters in the age of AI? Ben Karl — President-elect of the American Translators Association and ATA-certified French to English translator — joins Alain and Brian to talk about professional associations, certification, the upcoming ATA conference in San Francisco, and what it takes to build a resilient language career today.Whether you're a translator, an interpreter, or a student just starting out, this episode is packed with practical insights on why community matters, what AI cannot replace, and how to level up your expertise in a rapidly changing profession.In this episode:How Ben went from going it alone to becoming ATA President-electWhy professional associations are only as strong as their membersThe value of certification — not just for clients, but for yourselfATA's conference in San Francisco (October 28–31, 2026) and what to expectHow interpreters fit into the ATA — and why the interpreters division is the largest in the organizationATA's strategy to promote human expertise in the age of AIJoachim Lepine's standing-room-only session at the last ATA conferenceLanguage access rights in the United States under a changing political landscapeWhat Ben would tell a 25-year-old starting a language career todayBen Karl, MBA, CT is the President-elect of the American Translators Association (ATA). He is a certified French to English translator, copywriter, and founder of BK Translation LLC. He has been an ATA board member since 2021 and holds an advanced Chinese proficiency certificate.