Asta Rusakeviėčienė reflects on the impact of her early years as a translator for orphanages and speaks about her current role as owner and CEO of Diskusija, a boutique translation and localization company.
Have you ever read Multilingual Magazine? If yes, which is your favorite part?
Yes, I have — and I even contributed to the magazine quite some time ago with an article about the peculiarities of localization into the Baltic languages. It would be interesting to read it again now and see how much the entire landscape, technology, and our understanding of localization have changed since then.
When I read Multilingual, I especially enjoy the articles where professionals share their personal stories — how they arrived where they are, the choices they made, and how they see their role and the industry. On the other hand, I also appreciate pieces that feature languages and regions I’m less familiar with. They broaden my perspective and remind me how diverse and fascinating our industry truly is.
How did you get involved in the translation business?
My path to the translation industry was quite natural. I studied French philology at Vilnius University, planning to become a translator or interpreter. The demand for language services was very high at that time, so many of us — including me — started working as translators in the early years of our university studies. However, I soon realized that interpreting wasn’t for me. Even though I was good at it, I preferred to lead the conversation rather than simply support it — my entrepreneurial spirit was stronger.
Together with friends from my studies, we started Diskusija in 1993, when we were in our third year at university. Over time, my friends pursued different careers, while I continued developing the company. What began as a small initiative quickly became my professional calling. I discovered that language services are not just about words but about connecting cultures and helping businesses communicate effectively.
Since you entered the translation industry, how has the business landscape changed?
It sometimes feels like it all happened in a previous life. I still remember dreaming during my university years about electronic dictionaries while carrying around heavy Petit Robert and Larousse volumes — or going to the library to look up domain-specific terms. I even remember some translators using typewriters. Wasn’t that another era?
Over the years, I’ve witnessed the full transformation of our industry: from typewriters to computers, from servers to the cloud, and now to AI. I’ve seen the shift from a time of “knowledge vacuum,” when information was scarce and we relied on associations like Eulogia, GALA, and ELIA to share expertise, to today’s reality of information overload — where it can be difficult to stand out and stay focused.
Technology has made processes faster and more integrated, but at the same time, the human side — creativity, expertise, and meaningful relationships — has become more important than ever.
Could you share your experience working with your first client or on your first project?
My very first client was a French company newly established in Lithuania — just a few years after Lithuania regained its independence. This company hired me as a part-time employee when I was only in my second year at university. Although I was paid for the work, it felt like a second university for me — I was learning the language, gaining my first translation skills, and getting my first insights into business management, putting theory into practice and testing everything I had been studying.
Every interpreting project I took on later during my studies helped lay the foundation for my entrepreneurial life. Interpreting at complex negotiations taught me about communication and decision-making, while working on projects with orphanages and adoption cases showed me how every single word in a document can have a deep impact.
It was not an easy time, but in a way, we were fortunate to start our careers then — when language professionals were in high demand and we were trusted with real responsibility very early on. That early start allowed us to grow and develop quickly. Looking back, those experiences shaped my values — professionalism, precision, and respect for communication — principles that still guide me today.
Do you believe it’s a good time to enter the translation business?
It depends on what kind of “entry” we are talking about. For translators, there is still space — but adaptability is key. You need to be open to technology, flexible in your mindset, and ready to embrace constant change. Being “technology agnostic” and curious about new tools and workflows is essential. The tasks may evolve from pure translation to a broader range of linguistic and content-related activities, but the same skills and mindset will remain valuable.
For those thinking of starting a new translation company, however, it may not be the right time in the traditional sense. The market has matured, and the concept of “translation” alone is no longer enough. It’s rather about multilingual communication, content strategy, and value-added services that go far beyond simple translation. The future belongs to those who can see this broader picture.
Where do you see yourself professionally in the next ten years?
Ten years feels like a very long time in such an unpredictable industry. I believe that, at some point, we will gain more clarity about where the language industry is heading — and then each of us will be able to see whether we still fit within it.
If you had asked me this question three years ago, I would have said that I see myself continuing to contribute to the industry, perhaps more in the areas of strategy, mentoring, or innovation. Today, however, “innovation” feels like a very broad and fast-moving concept — it’s not easy to keep up with everything that’s happening.
So, I see myself in this industry for as long as I truly enjoy being part of it. And for now, I definitely do. I keep finding ways to reinvent my company — and myself — to stay curious, relevant, and inspired.
What predictions do you have for the future of the translation business?
I believe we are still far from exhausting the possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in the language industry. Development in this area is progressing rapidly, and the quality of AI-generated output keeps improving. Many linguistic tasks once performed by humans are now being handled by AI — and often with a speed, consistency, and availability that humans simply cannot match.
As someone who is not a technical expert, I wouldn’t dare to predict how quickly or how far AI will continue to evolve. For now, we still rely on experts in the loop to enhance and refine AI output. What the human role will look like in ten years is hard to say — especially how many people the industry will still need and what new roles they will take on.
However, translation is, at its core, the transformation of meaning — whether in text, audio, or video — from one language into another. This means that the technologies enabling this process are still part of the translation industry. The players may change, and the industry might even be called something different, but it will certainly continue to exist.
