From 2-6 February 2026 Lancaster University Confucius Institute was delighted to sponsor Chinese-English literary translator Jack Hargreaves as translator in residence in Languages & Global Cultures in the School of Global Affairs. Jack delivered translation workshops for undergraduate, master's, and PhD students which received very positive feedback.

On 4 February 2026, Jack also took part in a roundtable discussion titled “Human Translation in the Age of AI” held at Lancaster University Confucius Institute. Jointly organised by the Language Education Technology Research Group and Lancaster University Confucius Institute, the event brought together three internationally recognised literary translators, Jack Hargreaves, Nicky Harman and Simone Schroth, to examine the cultural, ethical and geopolitical stakes of translation in an AI-driven world.

As AI-driven translation tools become increasingly embedded in everyday communication, translation is often framed as a fast, technical, and automated process. Yet in literary and cultural contexts, a crucial question remains: what is lost when translation is reduced to a matter of speed and accuracy, and what continues to require human judgement, creativity, and responsibility?

From his perspective as a Chinese–English literary and academic translator, Jack Hargreaves highlighted translation as a fundamentally human act of communication rather than a transactional exchange. He described literary translation as a generative and creative practice—one that can even function as an act of resistance or testimony—dimensions that lie beyond the reach of machine systems. Nicky Harman, a leading UK translator of contemporary Chinese literature, emphasised that translators are writers in their own right, recreating literary works in the target language. Drawing on decades of experience, she discussed the limits of AI in handling ambiguity, rhythm, dialogue, and culturally embedded concepts, while also underlining translators’ crucial role in advocating for authors and introducing new literary voices to English-language readers. Simone Schroth, a translator and scholar at Lancaster University, focused on both ethical and professional implications. She warned that an overreliance on AI and post-editing models threatens not only translation quality but also the sustainability of literary translation as a profession. Reflecting on her work translating Holocaust-related texts, she stressed that emotional engagement, moral accountability and historical responsibility remain uniquely human capacities.

Moderated by Derek Hird, Director of Lancaster University Confucius Institute, the discussion drew on translation practices across Chinese, English, German and Dutch. The panellists collectively argued that literary translation is not a neutral or purely technical act, but a form of creative writing, intercultural communication and ethical engagement. Reducing translation to automated output, they warned, risks flattening literary voices and diminishing cultural diversity.

The panel also addressed the global consequences of AI translation, noting the danger that machine-trained systems—largely based on dominant languages and cultures—may marginalise dialects, minority voices and stylistically innovative writing, contributing to a homogenised global literary style.

In closing, the speakers agreed that while AI is an unavoidable presence in contemporary translation, the task ahead is not rejection but critical engagement. Literary translators, they argued, must continue to articulate and defend the value of translation as a human, creative and ethically grounded practice.

The event offered timely and thought-provoking insights into the future of translation in the age of AI, and reflects Lancaster University’s ongoing commitment to language education, translation studies, language learning and translation technologies, and meaningful intercultural dialogue.