Abstract
With the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, which allows the production of translation through a prompt-based dialogue between human and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), translation activity has been reshaped into a genuinely collaborative endeavour. The nature and potential challenges of this emerging form of translation practice call for immediate investigation. To this end, this chapter examines the results of a research experiment in which graduate-level students collaborated with a translator educator to explore the dynamics of prompt engineering as an emerging job role in the field of GenAI translation. The results showed that the experiment helped the students diagnose not only the strengths and weaknesses of GenAI but also their own, acknowledging the need for human intervention, editing and evaluation, to turn raw GenAI output into a functioning translation. The students also re-evaluated their human added value and self-concept as educated and experienced human translators, highlighting the sense of empowerment and responsibility they felt as human decision-makers in the prompt engineering process while addressing areas of self-improvement such as developing skills to communicate with GenAI, which are distinct from those required to communicate with a human being. The results also indicated that the established, holistic skill set of a trained professional human translator was regarded a prerequisite for effective prompt engineering. This needs to be considered by translator educators who now have the task of educating students so that they can cautiously but confidently collaborate with GenAI.
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