Will AI ever become sentient? Are AI-based companions the future for children? How dangerous is online-only education for young people’s social and emotional skills development? Could AI become a viable way to tackle loneliness and even grief?  

All these questions, embedded in celebrated author Kazuo Ishiguro’s recent novel Klara and the Sun were discussed at length on Wednesday 5th March, during the roundtable organised by Dr Khadidja Merakchi, from the Languages and Intercultural Department.

The unique Languages and Intercultural Studies touch for this event? It was multilingual: panellists Dr Jo Drugan, Susan Higgins, Emily Francis and Hanna Schroth took it in turn to share their views in French, English, Spanish and German. Thanks to their exceptional language skills, expertise and intercultural knowledge they were able to elevate the debate, bringing insights for instance into what Caribbean or German readers may make of this dystopian novel, and broaching matters such as education and the environmental impact of technology.  

For this multilingual panel to work, LINCS’s MSc interpreting students took it in turn to provide consecutive interpreting into English, and live, simultaneous whispered interpreting into the other languages for members of the audience. This enriching, authentic learning experience was designed carefully by Dr Merakchi, as part of an MSc course focused on liaison interpreting. This specific form of interpretation, in which an interpreter is physically present and enables speakers to express themselves in their mother-tongue, requires a high level of professionalism and skills: being a competent linguist is not enough, you also need to have exceptional intercultural mediation skills, and to have mastered the complex techniques needed to fairly render not the words used by speakers, but the actual meaning of their interventions. Professionalism and ethics are crucial in such settings and can become paramount in high-stake business or diplomatic settings. Performing live with an audience further adds to this high-pressure environment.  

That is why creating events that enable our students to practice their discipline in authentic and challenging settings is at the heart of LINCS degrees’ ethos. Thanks to our highly trained and hard-working students, communication worked seamlessly, enabling a complex and inspiring exchange. This fantastic learning experience will provide students with a solid foundation upon which to build for further exciting, situated learning experiences, starting with our online multilingual debate on March 26th, which will bring together speakers of BSL, Chinese, French, Spanish and German to discuss the role played by lifestyle influencers. This event is open to the public, and you can secure your place by booking on: https://gck.fm/qjmop