ATA63 Los Angeles: Fully Back In Person, AI Topics Heating Up

From October 12 to 15, 2022, the American Translators Association (ATA) held its 63rd Annual Conference in Los Angeles, fully back in person. Over a thousand translators, interpreters and LSP representatives attended, and the exhibition hall held visibly more translation-technology vendors than in previous years — AI and machine translation formed the hottest topic cluster of the conference.

Judging by the program, linguists' attitude toward technology has shifted from "anxious" to "pragmatic": how to connect MT engines to one's CAT tools, how to price post-editing fairly, how to explain the value of human-machine collaboration to clients — such practical sessions filled every room. Career-development discussion also sharpened: specialization, direct-client development and personal branding topped freelance translators' concerns.

The interpreting track was equally active: hands-on training for RSI platforms, contract law for conference interpreters, and certification paths for medical and court interpreting — reflecting the structural changes of the post-pandemic interpreting market.

From fully virtual in 2020, to hybrid in 2021, to fully in-person in 2022 — the ATA conference's three-year arc traces the whole industry's curve out of the pandemic.