ORLIN GEORGIEV: THRIVING AMID AI DISRUPTION

Translation was one of the first human activities to be transformed by the rapid rise of generative AI models. But is the field at risk of extinction? For Orlin Georgiev, founder of the respected translation and legalisation agency Prevodachi.eu, the answer is a firm no. A passionate innovator with a clear vision for the future of both humanity and business, he believes that artificial intelligence will support – rather than replace – the skills and expertise of qualified human translators and editors.

How will translation services evolve in the next, say, five to ten years?

I am an optimist by nature and a business optimist, because we perceive our sector more comprehensively – translations, legalizations, integrated language services, i.e. we always look for opportunities regardless of the fast changing (even volatile) landscape. While translations are mainly related to knowledge and skills, legalizations are an administrative service that saves time, effort and potential errors for our clients at key moments – when applying to study abroad, during medical treatment and in many other key situations. Language services "package" all these functions, plus editing, localization, consultations related to academic work, etc. They will continue to be in high demand as they save people time and money.

Just like any other service-related business affected by the powerful penetration of digital technologies ours will also change significantly. A key factor will be AI. This technology is developing on a huge, disruptive scale, at a very fast pace, and so a large part of the translations in the near future will be executed with the help of AI. For me this is a "win-win" situation – we will translate faster, will offer better prices, and the main "added value" will be the eventual editing, which relies to the skills of experienced editors and translators.

How massive is the disruption caused by AI in your business environment?

Our sector was among the first to start using AI. When I created Prevodachi.eu in 2010, we used "self-learning software" that assists the translator in translating faster and in line with the initially acquired terminology. So, we are prepared for the process, we only have to fetch the opportunities for faster response to client orders and optimized prices, which would stimulate demand and our turnover. I think that in 5-10 years, people and businesses will continue to trust our expertise for important translations.

You have already referred to "language services" instead of "translations". Your new slogan is "Next level language services". Why the change? What is the "next level"?

The new environment would require from us to offer different competencies in order to stay relevant, i.e. to complement translations and legalizations with services that require exceptional linguistic and technological expertise. Digitalization is the next level – the vast share of our services does not require direct, physical contact or even a phone call. A large part of the legalizations can be ordered, processed and received from anywhere in the world, by email or courier.

What are the boundaries for AI translation – and where should we draw the line between human-made translation and self-learning model translation?

We cannot forecast accurately the scale of the disruption. But the experience-based judgment of an expert-translator, especially in specialized legal texts, medical documents, etc., will remain the standard demanded – this is the "trust" component that AI cannot yet guarantee.

Our business will change profoundly. Yet I would say that linguistic competencies are going to open new market niche and we, at Prevodachi.eu, are already exploring them. We will surely be among the market pioneers in their implementation.

How have your your clients changed in the past five to ten years? Are they looking for different services? How is the demand of business clients changing?

Business clients are becoming more demanding of the three, often mutually contradictive, components – quality, deadlines, prices. That is why our focus is to address them in exactly the same order. Uncompromised quality is our touchstone – many of our corporate clients have been won over competitors who have compromised on quality. Deadlines are equally important, because clients trust us as if our team members were their own experts. We should also pair the quality with the deadlines – our aim is to provide absolutely reliable translations that are forwarded further without any intervention from the client employees. Prices must be fair, every professional already is aware that suspiciously low prices have their reasoning – and it is usually a compromise on quality and deadlines.

As for individual clients, the new generation already has profound digital competencies and trusts machine translation for most of their tasks. However, these young and rational people are aware that in any translation deviations in the correctness can be unacceptable. Therefore, our focus is on retaining them by making their lives easier, taking on the "tedious" tasks of translating and legalizing important documents, on which they depend.

You are also involved in agriculture. How do you combine language services and fruit and vegetable production?

The idea for the new business arose during the COVID-19 lockdown. I bought land, my partner and I built tomato greenhouses in the village of Malo Konare, Pazardzhik region. In addition to traditional Bulgarian tomato varieties we now grow traditional varieties of melons and cabbage striving to offer safe and delicious food both for end-customers and wholesale. The business is tough and time-consuming, but it brings me great satisfaction. I am an entrepreneur, but also the head of a family, I love our country and traditions. I realized that our quality of life will increasingly depend on the food quality. In addition, the bond with the land brings me satisfaction and I see great potential for making changes in modern people's habits. Some time ago, with Prevodachi.eu, I succeeded to lure many of our competitors in the idea to modernize the entire business sector, implementing many innovations as market newcomer. I know that agriculture is a much more complex, even conservative sector in Bulgaria, but I foresee the potential for positive development, at least at the local level and for creating a slightly more cohesive community of agricultural producers. Why? Because this will improve the quality of our lives in Bulgaria, for everyone.

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