Artificial intelligence (AI) has made headlines for several months now. This is the subject everyone is talking about. Artificial intelligence raises huge hopes, unleashes passions and scares a lot of people, just like any innovation! It is high time to debate calmly about it, to debunk preconceived ideas and, above all, to overcome fears.

For some time now, I have had the opportunity to work on artificial intelligence projects in French and Breton, in particular verifying or correcting content in these two languages, for major American ‘tech’ companies. This gives me an insider’s view, and therefore a slightly more precise view of the subject. First of all, as with any tool, it is how you use it that is important, and that can be problematic or, on the contrary, a great help! Like a knife, if you use it to cut up fruit and vegetables or to attack someone. Well, the same goes for artificial intelligence! We have heard a lot about ‘deepfakes’, those truer-than-life photos or videos that have sometimes been used to manipulate minds, spread false information or denigrate some people.

However, artificial intelligence has far more positive and useful uses. In my field, translation, it is used in machine translation. Artificial intelligence is in fact a very valuable aid in many areas. For example, if you are lacking a little inspiration or practice, it can help you write covering letters or essays or, more recreationally, organise your next holiday by providing you with a list of destinations, based on your preferences. In the medical field, AI can be used to detect illnesses invisible to the naked eye and refine diagnoses. In meteorology, it helps refine forecasts. And these examples are legion!

In these few lines, I hope I have made a modest contribution to demystifying the world of artificial intelligence and convincing you that you should not be afraid of AI. That it can be extremely useful in countless areas… But also in your everyday life!