ProZ.com Translation Forums

Does AI stop children from learning? | My experience

expressisverbis — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:58:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: My experience

My perspective is based on a recent, albeit brief, experience teaching at a language school in Portugal.
Through my contact with both teachers and students, I did not observe AI being used in the classroom.
What I did notice, however, was the children's genuine interest in translation and in the work of a translator.
This made me reflect on the question.
Rather than assuming that AI is necessarily preventing children from learning, I think we should pay attention to their curiosity, engagement and willingness to learn.
I also recognise that my experience was limited to this language school in Portugal, in one city in the Greater Porto, and I cannot speak for schools in other countries or for how AI is being used in different educational settings.
AI may well present challenges, but we should distinguish between those challenges and what we actually observe in the classroom.
I did not see any AI tools being used in the classroom at all.

Does AI stop children from learning? | Even medical doctors accept AI#s answers

Eva Stoppa — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 11:44:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Eva Stoppa
Post title: Even medical doctors accept AI#s answers

[quote]Harishankar Shahi wrote:

Yes, and I have been raising this question to every AI stakeholder/promoter/owner if this will continue it could badly damage human learning process. Even in adults, too.

Even some medical doctors trust in AI's answers.

An acquaintance of my recentyl told me of their sister-in-law who worked at a medical doctor's office and wanted to leave that work to find something else.

Her boss, that medical doctor, was unable to write an employment reference for her. So my acquaintance's sister-in-law asked her niece if she could help her using AI. Of course! Just pass me the details and I'll do it for you.

The boss just signed the AI-produced letter of employment.

Now. What does that say about her abilities?

Does AI stop children from learning? | Learning is a process, not the result

Li-Hsiang Hsu — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 03:01:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Li-Hsiang Hsu
Post title: Learning is a process, not the result

Learning is a process made up of steps, not just results, whereas all an AI offers is the results. If you can get the results in seconds, before even embarking on the laborious step-by-step process, why would you bother learning?

Does AI stop children from learning? | Yes.

Harishankar Shahi — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 10:21:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Harishankar Shahi
Post title: Yes.

Yes, and I have been raising this question to every AI stakeholder/promoter/owner if this will continue it could badly damage human learning process. Even in adults, too. Every low intellect, here I'm not offending anybody low intellect a subjective term like everyone's learning process isn't the same, so in those subjects where we don't have enough knowledge, low intellect people blindly accept generic answers of AI. And these answers most often come from Open Sources, which are highly un-reliable.

So, yes it is affecting everyone's learnig process, but for the children, it is way to dangerous. Suppose if human kid stop to think or avoiding intelliegent challenges what will they have? And AIs aren't useful that much it is all publicity stunt. We all linguists can check writing skills of AI by ourselves. And it will cause massive manipulation of information.

it is just a way to cost cutting nothing else.

Here is where AI will fail! | Thank Jennifer for contributing!

Maha Abouel Soud — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 16:49:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Here is where AI will fail!
Poster: Maha Abouel Soud
Post title: Thank Jennifer for contributing!

Thank you both of you for drawing my attention. Actually, I agree with both of you. I just became excited as soon as I received both the Arabic and English versions, and posted the English without checking! As you said jennifer, I wanted to pass the core message as soon as possible!

Thank you again both of you

Here is where AI will fail! | Not AI

Jennifer Levey — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:53:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Here is where AI will fail!
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: Not AI

[quote]Tina Colquhoun wrote:

Well, if this text was translated from Arabic to English using AI, I don't think we need to worry too much for the moment... [/quote]
[quote]Maha Abouel Soud wrote:

... this is not an AI translation,[/quote]
The translation is very clearly "not an AI translation".

AI hallucinates over semantics, but it is usually very good when it comes to following the rules of English grammar.

The translation posted by OP demonstrates the exact opposite; the meaning is probably very close to the Arabic original - the message is coherent enough to be understandable for a native English-speaker, and there is no evident hallucination. But the persistent mis-use (nay, abuse) of English grammar rules betrays the work of a human translator working into their second or third language.

Does AI stop children from learning? | Keep children away from AI

Li-Hsiang Hsu — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:18:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Li-Hsiang Hsu
Post title: Keep children away from AI

One aspect of AI that really bothers me is that it is very "compliant." It makes you feel like you are always right and have brilliant ideas; it traps you in your own little world. It is very unhealthy.

Does AI stop children from learning? | The operative word is 'conation'

Daryo — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:54:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Daryo
Post title: The operative word is 'conation'

What matters, then, is how pupils use the technology. Those whose exam results remained strong were not simply copying and pasting answers to save time. More likely they used the chatbots as a personal tutor, perhaps to explain difficult concepts or help solve specific problems.

IOW it doesn't matter what kind of 'learning aids' you use [AI being the latest one available - same applies to printed manuals], conation must be part of the process. Pedagogy 101 – I still remember that from a text I translated eons ago.

Which is just a very scientifically sounding word to state the (blindingly?] obvious:

'if you don't make any personal effort, you'll never learn anything'.

Here is where AI will fail! | please clarify!

Maha Abouel Soud — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:03:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Here is where AI will fail!
Poster: Maha Abouel Soud
Post title: please clarify!

Dear Tina Colquhoun, I am not sure I understand what you mean by not worrying much! but no this is not an AI translation, will appreciate your clarification,

[Edited at 2026-10-05 12:11 GMT]

Here is where AI will fail! | Reassured

Tina Colquhoun — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:35:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Here is where AI will fail!
Poster: Tina Colquhoun
Post title: Reassured

Well, if this text was translated from Arabic to English using AI, I don't think we need to worry too much for the moment...

Does AI stop children from learning?

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:53:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Does AI stop children from learning?
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida

A recent interesting article on 'The Economist' for those of you of have school children (mine are grown-ups)

“Does AI stop children from learning?

New data show the peril and promise of the technology

STUDENTS AND SCHOOLCHILDREN are increasingly using artificial intelligence. A survey last year by Chegg, an ed-tech firm, found that 80% of rich-world undergraduates used it in their studies. More recent polls put the figure at 94% in Britain and 93% in Germany.

Such widespread adoption has fuelled concerns about the impact the technology might be having on learning. Teachers report marking identikit essays that they suspect are churned out by ChatGPT. Yet firm evidence on AI’s educational effects has been lacking.

David Stromberg of Stockholm University and Victor Lei and Wu Yanhui of the University of Hong Kong set out to fill the gap. They tracked 27,000 pupils aged 12-18 in China, where AI adoption has been fast. Around 80% reported using models such as Doubao and DeepSeek; the other 20% formed the control group.

The results are eye-opening. After six months, pupils using AI saw their average homework score rise by 18% across all subjects. The time they took to complete each assignment fell from an average of 64 minutes to 45. But come exam time, the same students scored 20% below their classmates who had not called on AI’s help. Homework scores once predicted exam performance; now those who score highest are, perversely, more likely to do worse in exams.

Should schools ban AI? Not necessarily. The drop in exam scores was concentrated among students who rushed their homework. Those who used AI but spent as long on assignments as non-users paid little penalty. What matters, then, is how pupils use the technology. Those whose exam results remained strong were not simply copying and pasting answers to save time. More likely they used the chatbots as a personal tutor, perhaps to explain difficult concepts or help solve specific problems.

In another new study, Zara Contractor and Germán Reyes of Middlebury College had undergraduates learn about an unfamiliar topic, either with or without the help of a chatbot. Students using AI scored higher on tests, and the advantage persisted when they repeated the task a week later.

The evidence, though still limited, points one way: AI can boost learning productivity, but only for those who use the technology intelligently. Students must resist the temptation to reach for an AI-generated answer before thinking things through for themselves.”

Good reading!

Here is where AI will fail!

Maha Abouel Soud — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 07:49:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Here is where AI will fail!
Poster: Maha Abouel Soud

In light of AI accelerated technological developments and transition from machine learning, to deep learning, generative and agentic AI all the way to General Artificial Intelligence (AGI) capable of recursive self-improvement. This situation raised serious concerns regarding the future relation between human being and machine taking us to discuss the future of human being in terms of whether or not he shall continue taking control of his future or be dominated and even eliminated by the machine. Actually, this level of concern resulted into concerted effort by global companies and developed countries few days ago. They came together to discuss and reached suggested frameworks, laws, organisations, and mechanisms aimed at maintaining a safe relation while concurrently putting AI for use in development in a way that will not jeopardise safety of humanity.
Watching the ongoing crazy evolution coupled with the intense fascination visible on the faces and minds by the outcomes of AI systems that are capable of solving the most complicated dilemmas, I return to the discussion of consciousness, emotions, and the human touch. Actually, AI is making quick leaps aimed at simulating these areas. But I must admit that it succeeded in performing outstanding yet terrifying simulation. Some people believe or even assert that machines developed their own consciousness. Regardless of this issue, I can point to a certain human domain where AI failed to attain even the level of a little child. I do not observe any advancement similar to what is taking place in other areas. Here I am referring to humor and comedy. Until now, AI models are incapable of delivering the type of humor satisfactory enough to me and many others. Rather all the AI outputs are not but mechanical attempts to practice humor and being funny. Sadly enough, such attempts end either for me and many others to nothing but real tragedy. Usually, at the end of the session AI requests my opinion expecting me to crack laughing before I start praising what it said. In fact, the supposed to be funny output of AI model sounds like it came from the most foolish person on the face of earth.
Ironically, the situation is not as bad if we request from AI to compose a tragic story perhaps because tragedy is easier to trigger versus humor, as laughter needs sense, spirit, oratory, body language and above all divine gift which we know nothing about or why it was bestowed upon one and not the other. For example, the Pink Panther scene where Inspector Clouseau is Learning English, we all crack laughing every time Peter Sellers tries to say “I want to buy a hamburger” (for relatability purposes, the translator used a non-local example as used by the author in the original Arabic article). Does this mean that if any other actor said the same sentence, it will trigger the same reaction from the audience? Certainly not.
Similarly, how many funny jokes went flat because of how they were told, on the other hand ordinary or even ridiculous jokes caused roaring laughter because of how they were said. The same dynamic applies on everyday stories. Leave alone body language that takes humor to a higher level more difficult than words. For example, look at Charlie Chaplin and silent movies, or Pantomime. I can continue giving examples even between friends. You may fall down laughing just by a mere look, head gesture or saying a simple word in a given situation which will make everyone fall on their backs laughing. I remember one of my friends who continued saying “O`qballak: I wish you the same”, the problem is that he did that in a condolences offering event. I was hardly able to control myself to burst laughing as I kept hearing him repeating the word when he shook hands with relatives of the deceased. After we finished, I asked him how come he repeated this word loudly. He answered, no one would expect me to be saying that in such a situation.
I can just go on and on with more examples. This is humor and comedy you big linguistic models. We cannot challenge you in what you do or offer, but we can confidently challenge you to make us laugh from the bottom of our hearts. A machine that is capable of solving complex problems hard to solve by human beings, drafting research papers, developing software and composing stories, would be incapable of making me laugh like a child who laughs by merely looking at his mother’s facial gestures.

Translated from an Arabic article authored by: Engineer Ziad Abd eTawaab- Member of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture

Your favourite films for the last year? | Concussion (2015)

ATIL KAYHAN — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:15:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Your favourite films for the last year?
Poster: ATIL KAYHAN
Post title: Concussion (2015)

I watched this 2015 movie today for the first time. It is a two-hour biography/drama based on a true story. A successful neuropathologist originally from Nigeria discovers the true cause of concussions some football players experience in Pittsburgh PA. He publishes his results in a medical journal. However, he immediately faces fierce criticism from NFL for his discovery. By the way, Pittsburgh happens to be the city I had my graduate education back in nineteen eighties, and I have a lot of memories there. So, it was pretty sentimental for me to watch.

[url removed]

Coin a new word! | Glamor

Cilian O'Tuama — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 08:24:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Cilian O'Tuama
Post title: Glamor

[url removed]

Coin a new word! | The same in Portuguese

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:01:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: The same in Portuguese

Aestivation = estivação (a state of inactivity, with reduced or suspended metabolism, which various animal species enter in order to survive when climatic conditions become very hot and dry

Hibernation = hibernação (lethargy in certain animals during winter, when their metabolism slows down, their body temperature drops, and they draw on their food reserves)

Coin a new word! | Diphthongs

Philip Lees — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 04:59:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Diphthongs

[quote]Eva Stoppa wrote:

I'd consider "estivation" as only spelling. Why the "a"? [/quote]
Because it comes from the Latin word "aestas", meaning summer.

US English tends to compress the diphthongs that come from Latin or Greek, whereas UK English tends to retain them.

This is very obvious in the medical sphere, as much of English medical vocabulary is just transliterated Greek. So for example αναιμία becomes anaemia in UK English and anemia in US.

US English also sometimes changes the order of letters: θέατρο = theatre (UK), or theater (US).

Yet in some cases US English keeps the diphthongs, I'm not sure for what reason. I mean, why not go the whole hog and write Urope, nurology, anurysm, and so on?

Coin a new word! | Again something new

Eva Stoppa — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 08:57:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Eva Stoppa
Post title: Again something new

I'd consider "estivation" as only spelling. Why the "a"?

I look at the French word for "summer" "été". Is it not originally a latin word, something like "estata"? There was a song "Una Estata Italiana".

Coin a new word! | Coinless

Philip Lees — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 05:20:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Coinless

No new word needed. The word for sleepy time in summer, rather than winter, is "aestivation"

[url removed]

Or "estivation" if you live in a spelling-challenged country. :)

Coin a new word! | Estivating

Michele Fauble — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:42:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Michele Fauble
Post title: Estivating

zoology : to pass the summer in a state of torpor or dormancy

[url removed]

Coin a new word!

Daryo — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 14:25:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Coin a new word!
Poster: Daryo

There was recently in UK a number of heatwaves.

Many people slowed down to the point of saying they are 'hibernating'.

That doesn't sound right. Any ideas for the hot summer equivalent of 'hibernating'?

Interpretation project in France and Georgia. | Unusual requests

expressisverbis — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 10:17:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: Unusual requests

And what’s unusual is asking colleagues to make phone calls to certain countries.
I also vaguely remember this member asking to make a call to Spain and wondering if I could help, and I am in Portugal...
It’s really best not to engage.
With today’s technological advances and the many resources available, I can’t understand this kind of request.

Interpretation project in France and Georgia. | Remember

Lieven Malaise — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:58:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: Lieven Malaise
Post title: Remember

[quote]Dan Lucas wrote:
...of plaintive requests for information that appears once or twice a year, typically for information pertaining to (a suspiciously wide range of) other countries that could easily be googled.

I'm not exactly sure what the driver of this behavior is, but probably better not to engage.[/quote]

Yes, I vaguely remember a discussion with this person about their weird posts. I must say they haven't become less weird.

Interpretation project in France and Georgia. | The latest in an irregular series...

Dan Lucas — Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:05:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: The latest in an irregular series...

...of plaintive requests for information that appears once or twice a year, typically for information pertaining to (a suspiciously wide range of) other countries that could easily be googled.

I'm not exactly sure what the driver of this behavior is, but probably better not to engage.

July 2026:
[url removed]

January 2026:
[url removed]

October 2025:
[url removed]

September 2025
[url removed]

October 2023:
[url removed]

July 2023:
[url removed]

And many others.

Interpretation project in France and Georgia. | proz

Gregor Trebec — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 17:01:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: proz

Proz is getting wierd day by day.

Interpretation project in France and Georgia. | Why sending messages to the airport? Ask Google for help

Natalie — Sun, 09 Aug 2026 15:41:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: Natalie
Post title: Why sending messages to the airport? Ask Google for help

Here is what i received within 5 seconds:
Is there a shuttle from Orly to Charles de Gaulle?
Air France bus between Orly and CDG: The "direct bus": Line 3 of the Air France coach network provides a direct link between Orly and CDG airports. The service is continuous between 6:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. and between 7:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. on weekends.
See more at [url removed]

Is there a hotel for a good price close to Orly Airport?
[url removed]

Do you procrastinate? | Y a pas le feu au lac !

Daryo — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 18:33:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Do you procrastinate?
Poster: Daryo
Post title: Y a pas le feu au lac !

[quote]Philip Lees wrote:

I was going to respond to this topic, but then I decided to leave it until later in the week.

[Edited at 2026-08-03 04:36 GMT] [/quote]

'Next week' would be hasty - I'll be back in a month or two...

Ageing disgracefully | After-glow

Dan Lucas — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 07:13:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Dan Lucas
Post title: After-glow

[quote]Philip Lees wrote:
Don't forget that hers was the generation that lived through WWII - the Blitz and so on[/quote]
I often think of this quote from The Siege of Krishnapur.

"We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us....but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?"

My sense is we have an (understandable) bias that favours the accomplishments of living generations. There is this idea that all movement is "progress", and in some way inevitable and laudable. But suppose that the movement of some aspects of society is not a straight line but a curve, gentle enough not to be initially recognized as such. If that unperceived shift continues, the direction of travel will eventually be backward rather than forward.

Could we have survived let alone thrived under the conditions experienced by those who came before us, such as Philip's grandmother? Would we just buckle down and get through it or would we fail? And if the latter, what would that say about us?

I suppose the corollary would be to question whether Philip's grandmother could have survived the morally chaotic luxury of our times, where the vast majority of those living in western or equivalent societies enjoy better conditions than were available at any previous point in history.

Dan

[Edited at 2026-08-05 07:15 GMT]

Ageing disgracefully | Grandmother

Philip Lees — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 04:46:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: Philip Lees
Post title: Grandmother

[quote]The Shredder wrote:

Older people previously didn’t have the money or health to be having fun later in life. And it wasn’t the done thing, perhaps. [/quote]
My grandmother used to throw great parties. Don't forget that hers was the generation that lived through WWII - the Blitz and so on - when having fun at home, despite what was going on, could be considered as a gesture of defiance.

Interpretation project in France and Georgia.

yugoslavia — Wed, 05 Aug 2026 01:52:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Interpretation project in France and Georgia.
Poster: yugoslavia

Dear French colleagues from Proz.com,

I hope you are doing well in France and also in other European countries.

I'm writing to you because I was hired for an interpretation project in Paris, France, and the country of Georgia. I have some questions for those who live in France and are familiar with the country.

Do they have shuttle services from Orly International Airport in Paris to Charles de Gaulle Airport? Or shuttle services to the hotels?

Do you know if they have trains or buses from both airports? (Orly and Charles de Gaulle)

I sent a message to the airport, but I haven't gotten a response.

I need to take a flight from that airport to Tbilisi, Georgia. I haven't traveled there in many years. I was last there more than 24 years ago. They have many new buildings now.

Do you know a good travel website or travel agency where I can find a hotel for a good price close to Orly Airport in Paris? Or close to the Latin Quarter neighborhood in Paris? We may stay in Paris for two days. I will be Interpreting in two conferences there.

We may travel there in around seven days. Feel free to write to me in Spanish.

Thanks for your help and advice.

Yugoslavia.

Ageing disgracefully | Scraped knees and lasting friendships

expressisverbis — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 15:35:00 +0000

Forum: Off topic
Topic: Ageing disgracefully
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: Scraped knees and lasting friendships

One memory that seems to unite many of us in Generation X is falling off our bikes.
We'd simply get up, brush ourselves off, wipe the blood from a scraped knee, and carry on as if nothing had happened. Looking back now, it still makes me smile.
Those were simple times, but they gave me memories and friendships that have stayed with me ever since.
I also think resilience is one of the defining traits of Generation X. Those childhood experiences taught us that falling wasn't the end of the story. You got back up, learned from it, and kept going.
Somehow, that became a lesson for life, at least for me. It's probably one of the reasons I don't subscribe to the idea that everything is doomed in our profession.

Confession: I absolutely hate the '80s. 😂
But I do love having grown up as part of Generation X. Those are two very different things.