International Days of Linguistic Accessibility 2027, 15th Nordic Seminar
14.–15.1.2027
Topic: Interpreting and Artificial Intelligence
Organizers: Diak UAS and University of Helsinki
The seminar is primarily designed for interpreters, teachers and trainers of interpreting, and interpreting researchers working in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Venue: Diaconia University of Applied Sciences, Kyläsaarenkuja 2, Helsinki, Classroom 222.
You can present your research, host a workshop or a panel discussion related to the field of interpreting, or attend as a general participant.
Seminar program 2027
14 January 2027
8:15-9:00
Registration
09:00–09:15
Welcome and Opening of the Seminar
Lena Segler & Erja Tenhonen-Lightfoot
09:15–10:00
AI and Interpreting: Current Research and Implications for Interpreter Education
Sabine Braun
10:00–10:45
A Hybrid Model is the Future of Interpreting
Maya Rytkönen
10.45-11.30
AI Interpreting in Finnish Wellbeing Services Counties: Communicating Technological Change Through Public Web Content
Maarit Koponen, Lena Segler, Mari Vainikka & Anu Viljanmaa
11:30–12:30
Lunch
12:30–13:15
Human Expertise and AI in Multilingual Interpreting: A Practitioner’s Perspective from Pakistan
Jahan Noor Khan
13:15–14:00
“Just Take a Quick Look”: Emerging Tensions in AI Use in Public Service Interpreting in Norway
Tetjana Felberg
14:00–14:30
Coffee Break
14.30–16.00
AI vs Human Translation: The Importance of Translator and Interpreter Evaluators
Workshop and discussion
16.00
End of Day 1
15 January 2027
09:00–09:15
Introduction to Day 2
09:15–10.00
Intercultural Mediation in Finland: Understanding Each Other Beyond Interpreting
Mari Vainikka
10.00–10:45
The Human Value Proposition: Social Workers’ Perspectives on Interpreter-Mediated Interaction
Anu Viljanmaa
10:45–11.30
Between Words and Body: Psychomotor Physiotherapists’ Experiences of Multilingual and Multicultural Communication
Randi Havnen
11:30–12:30
Lunch
12:30–13.15
Recruiting Participants for Research on Interpreter-Mediated Communication in Norwegian Healthcare
Trine Skogset Ofitserova
13.15–14.00
The Future of AI and Human Interpreting
Joint Discussion
14.00–15.00
Coffee and Closing Remarks
15:00
End of Seminar
Contributors: information and registration
The seminar is arranged under the theme of Interpreting and Artificial Intelligence. Scholars from different fields of research gather to reflect on different perspectives on our main topic.
Suggested Themes and Topics for Contributions
We welcome proposals for presentations, workshops, and panel discussions. While we are particularly interested in the interface of interpreting and artificial intelligence (AI), submissions may approach this theme from various angles.
Examples of potential topics include, but are not limited to:
Cognitive Load vs. Relief: Studies on how real-time AI assistive tools (e.g., automated terminology extraction) affect interpreter fatigue, attention span, and performance.
Quality and Accuracy: Comparative analyses of Automated Speech Translation (AST) versus human interpreting in specific settings.
Multimodal AI: Exploring how emerging AI models process non-verbal cues, accents, and contextual nuances in Nordic languages.
Adapting the Curriculum: Strategies for integrating AI literacy, digital proficiency, and AI output supervision into interpreter training programs.
AI as a Pedagogical Tool: Using generative AI to create customized, adaptive practice materials and simulated speeches for students.
The Future of the Profession: How to guide students through market anxieties and prepare them for a hybrid human-AI working environment.
The AI “Boothmate”: Practical workshops on utilizing real-time Computer-Assisted Interpreting (CAI) tools for content management.
Ethics, Privacy, and Liability: Navigating data security and confidentiality when using cloud-based AI tools in sensitive assignments.
The Human Value Proposition: Defining and marketing the irreplaceable human elements of interpreting—such as empathy, cultural mediation, and crisis management—in an AI-driven market.
We are, of course, also open to other points of view and suggestions that fit our topic Interpreting and AI.
If you would like to contribute, there are three options:
A presentation (30 min+15 min discussion),
A panel discussion (15 min+30 min discussion)
or a workshop (60 min).
As for presentations, workshops, or panel discussions, please send your abstract via e-mail (max. 250 words + possible list of references) between 14th April and 18th Oct 2026 to both organizors.
Registration
We ask our presenters (presentation, workshop, or panel discussion) to register for the seminar electronically. The participation is free of charge. Please register here between 14th April and 18th Oct 2026.
Information on other practical matters will be updated on the seminar website during autumn term 2026. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the seminar organizers: Lena Segler, lena.segler@diak.fi and Erja Tenhonen-Lightfoot, erja.tenhonen-lightfoot@helsinki.fi
Visitors: information and registration
Please register here for the seminar electronically between 14th April and 18th Oct 2026. The participation in the seminar is free of charge.
Information on other practical matters will be updated on the seminar website during the autumn term 2026. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the seminar organizers: Lena Segler, lena.segler@diak.fi and Erja Tenhonen-Lightfoot, erja.tenhonen-lightfoot@helsinki.fi
Contact
Lena Segler, lena.segler@diak.fi, tel. +358(0)50 4108772
Erja Tenhonen-Lightfoot, erja.tenhonen-lightfoot@helsinki.fi, tel. +358(0)40-5227 527
Abstracts / IDLA 2027
Here you can find the abstracts of presentations, workshops and panel discussions of the seminar.
Randi Havnen and Vilde Bagøien