Embracing Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI.
This week, I was invited to be part of the " Economic Sunday ????? ?????????" talk show on AlMamlaka TV - ???? ??????? , with the host Abdallah Alkafaween and a representative from the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), Ziad Al-Masri, the Chief Programs Officer, we talked about the world of entrepreneurship and investment in Jordan. One of the questions the host asked was about how artificial intelligence (AI) affects jobs. During the discussion, the guest with me mentioned that AI could replace translators and interpreters. I agreed that AI might handle the technical side of translation, but I stressed the importance of developing our emotional intelligence (EI).
The conversation sparked a lot of interest. A translator and business editor contacted me on LinkedIn days after the interview, asking for more information about EI. This inspired me to write this blog post and share my thoughts. I will also share the video of the full interview below with some good references I read while working on this subject Last year, as I was completing my doctoral research on the impact of localization and culturalization on the success of mobile games in the Middle East. One of the key points I discussed was using AI in translation, even with advanced technologies, to localize and culturalize games for the region. Games are deeply rooted in emotion, and the sensitivity required to adapt them to a specific area is crucial for player engagement. Any AI can fully understand this nuance. As we say in Arabic, "Ahal Makka adra beshabeha, ??? ???.. ???? ???????" which means that the people of Mecca know its pathways best. This proverb highlights the importance of local expertise and emotional intelligence, which AI cannot replace.
AI is no longer just a buzzword—it's a tangible force driving innovation across various industries. Reflecting on the balance between human touch and technology, it's clear that emotional intelligence is not just nice to have but necessary in the age of AI. While AI can handle routine tasks well, it struggles to understand human emotion, culture, and context, which are vital for making truly impactful translations.
Over the past few weeks, we have seen how AI, like Chat GPT-4.o , introduced new communication methods with machines. AI now offers quick and accurate language translation, making it easier than ever. From real-time voice translations to instant text interpretations, AI has made translation services fast and accessible. As someone who values communication beyond language barriers, seeing these technological advancements has been inspiring.
Emotional intelligence (EI) can significantly enhance the work of translators by enabling them to understand better and navigate the emotional complexities inherent in the translation process. Here are some key ways in which emotional intelligence can be utilized to improve the work of translators:
Emotional Regulation: Translators with high emotional intelligence can effectively regulate their emotions, allowing them to maintain focus, manage stress, and handle the affective nature of texts more adeptly.
Cultural Sensitivity: EI helps translators develop a deeper understanding of cultural nuances, enabling them to accurately convey the emotional subtleties and context of the source text in the target language.
Interpersonal Skills: Emotional intelligence equips translators with strong interpersonal skills such as empathy, communication, and relationship management, essential for effective translation and interpretation.
Creativity and Innovation: Translators with high EI are more likely to be creative in their translation tasks, as emotional intelligence fosters a deeper understanding of the emotional content of texts and the ability to creatively convey this in the target language.
Quality of Translation: Emotional intelligence plays a significant role in controlling translators' behavior and positively influencing the quality of translation work.
Ethical Considerations and Accountability : Human translators are bound by professional ethics and can be held accountable for their work.
I strongly believe in a human-centric approach, which means putting people's needs, experiences, and perspectives at the heart of everything we do, whether in business, design, or technology. I believe that decisions should prioritize human well-being, values, and experiences. This approach requires a deep understanding and appreciation of human factors, ensuring that products, services, and systems are designed and managed to meet people's needs and truly enhance their satisfaction. By focusing on creating user-friendly, empathetic, and personalized solutions, we can achieve more meaningful and impactful outcomes.
As a game designer and developer, this human-centric approach has become our UI/UX language. We prioritize players' needs, experiences, and perspectives in every aspect of our design process. By focusing on human well-being, values, and experiences, we ensure that our games are engaging but also intuitive and satisfying. This involves understanding and integrating human factors into the development of our games, creating user interfaces and experiences that are user-friendly, empathetic, and tailored to the preferences and behaviors of our players. Ultimately, this approach helps us deliver games that provide meaningful and impactful experiences.
Emotional intelligence (EI) and a human-centric approach go hand in hand, supporting each other in various ways. EI helps leaders understand and connect with their teams, communicate effectively, manage conflicts, and inspire others, all important for a human-centric workplace. Empathy, a key part of EI, is vital for building human-centric connections. Leaders can empathize with their team, listen well, and respond with compassion, creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. Self-awareness, another aspect of EI, is crucial for human-centric behaviors. It allows emotionally intelligent leaders to manage their emotions, adapt to challenges, and model the behaviors they want to see in their teams, promoting a more human-centric work culture. Incorporating EI into learning and development programs improves the employee experience by creating deeper connections, customizing learning to individual needs, and enhancing well-being and performance. Lastly, a human-centered design approach, which focuses on understanding user needs and emotions, aligns well with EI to create products and services that evoke the desired emotional responses, further enriching the human-centric nature of the design process.
My message is simple: we must value and include emotional intelligence in language services. We should recognize and appreciate the unique ability of emotionally intelligent translators and interpreters to connect words with deep meaning. AI will enhance human translation capabilities, but human translators will remain essential due to their unique emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, creativity, and ethical responsibility Qualities.
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[Interview: Arabic, but you can have an acceptable level of auto-translate in YouTube captions]
[Books I recommend ]
1) Emotional AI - The Rise of Empathic Media
2)The Emotionally Intelligent Machine - EQ Meets IQ - The Merger of Human Empathy and AI Power
3) AI and Emotions in Digital Society
4)Humanising Machines – The Evolution of Emotionally Intelligent AI
[Articles] :
How emotional intelligence can help you thrive in the age of AI :
The Power of Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI:
Navigating the Future: The Crucial Role of Emotional Intelligence for Leaders in the Era of AI:
https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/navigating-future-crucial-role-emotional-intelligence-shehzad-oujpf/
[Video References] : Talking about the opportunities with AI