The Implications of the Artificial Intelligence Capability for Language Industry Professionals: A Scientometric Analysis

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been shaping the landscape of language industry, raising serious questions about the traditional and emerging capabilities of the language professionals. With the aim to examine the general implications of AI on language professions, the study investigates two areas: English for Specific Purposes and Chinese for Specific Purposes, thereby covering two major languages in the world of business and trade. Based on 648 bibliographic entries collected from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection Indexes of SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, and A&HCI, the scientometric findings reveal the initial impact of digital technologies, including Big Data and AI, on the traditional and emerging capabilities of language professionals. The paper summarizes different aspects of language and digital capabilities. It discusses how AI applications may enhance such capabilities, thereby generating insights for the training and learning experiences for the next generation of language industry professionals.