Bill Rivers on The New Trump Admin and AI in Interpreting

Dr. Bill Rivers shares his insights as a lobbyist on how the new Trump Admin might impact language access policy and demand for language services in the U.S.

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Episode Summary

Bill Rivers, an experienced language industry advocate, discussed the new administration’s impact on language services, noting potential chilling effects on immigrant communities. He highlighted the steady growth of the language industry despite past administrations’ policies. Rivers emphasized the importance of language access laws like Title VI and the ACA, which remain in effect. He also detailed the SAFE-AI Task Force’s efforts to ensure ethical AI use in interpreting, including a survey with 2,500 responses and four key principles: autonomy, transparency, choice, and accountability. Rivers stressed the need for continued collaboration and advocacy to adapt to AI advancements while maintaining high standards in language services.

Highlights

  • 4:27 Impact of the new administration on language services
  • 7:52 Legal and regulatory landscape for language access
  • 9:42 The 2016 rollback on Section 1557
  • 12:53 Revised ruling of Section 1557 in 2024
  • 16:25 There’s bipartisan support for language access
  • 18:40 State and local governments’ roles in language access
  • 20:40 Educational programs for the language industry
  • 26:59 Technology and the language industry
  • 33:21 The SAFE-AI Task Force and its mission
  • 48:52 Four principles for ethical AI in interpreting
  • 55:32 Bill’s predictions for 2025

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