Learning a Language in the Age of AI: the Most Profitable Act of Resistance

A column by Julie Vignaux, CEO of 7Speaking (a Learnation Group brand)

Originally published in Forbes France in May 2025

‘Why learn a foreign language when ChatGPT or DeepL can translate anything in seconds?’ It’s a question we hear every day, and we need to answer it clearly: because a language is more than its translation. Because giving up on language learning means giving up on an essential part of how we understand the world. Because at a time when artificial intelligence is making its mark in every field, mastering a foreign language is a deeply strategic act – and a deeply human one.

When translation becomes automatic… what do we lose?

Let’s be honest: translation tools have never been more powerful. Powered by generative AI, they’re finding their way into our professional exchanges and personal research alike. According to a Google Cloud study published in October 2024¹, 86% of companies that have integrated generative AI into their tools report significant productivity gains, and 75% see a direct improvement in revenue.

It’s worth bearing in mind, though, that AI, however precise, remains a tool. It translates effectively, but it falls away at the moments that matter most: negotiations, key meetings, or business dinners. When you’re face to face with someone, it’s command of their language (or a shared one) that creates a real connection. In business, that kind of direct presence turns a transaction into a lasting relationship. AI is a useful ally in preparation, but when it comes to human relationships, speaking the language remains strategically irreplaceable.

Language proficiency: a cultural and competitive advantage

Neuroscience confirms it: language learning stimulates brain plasticity, improving memory, concentration, and even empathy. A study covered by The Conversation (Thompson, 2017) shows that multilingual individuals develop a greater tolerance for ambiguity and difference².

And on the economic side? The OECD’s Skills Outlook 2023 report³ makes it clear: foreign languages rank among the most strategic skills for the years ahead, alongside programming and complex problem-solving (OECD, 2023). They are not a cultural luxury, but a long-term investment in collective intelligence.

In today’s job market, speaking several languages remains a key differentiator, particularly in certain sectors – obviously those linked to diplomacy or negotiation, but also highly specialised fields such as scientific research, where language proficiency remains essential.

The cognitive and relational benefits of language immersion

Speaking a foreign language is about more than being able to order a coffee abroad. It means absorbing references, codes, ways of thinking, and even a different relationship with time. It means seeing the world through a different lens – and understanding its subtleties more clearly.

An OECD analysis on machine translation technologies⁴ also notes that while AI tools can make certain interactions easier, they also risk homogenising our relationship with language and erasing dimensions that are essential to human communication.

Refusing to learn a language because a tool can translate for you is like refusing to learn to cook because you can order a takeaway: convenient in the short term, but limiting, impoverishing, and ultimately disempowering.

AI doesn’t replace language learning; it reinvents it

Used well, artificial intelligence doesn’t kill language learning. It transforms it. It makes it possible to personalise learning journeys, sharpen assessment, and make exercises more engaging and immersive. It’s a new mode of learning that, when used in the right place within the learning journey, enriches the experience. Our firm belief is that AI and human input must form a teaching partnership where technology amplifies learning without ever dehumanising it. It is not an end in itself, but a means of enriching our relationship with languages – provided we use it mindfully.

In a world that prizes speed and efficiency above all else, learning a language takes time. It’s demanding. It can be frustrating. But it is also an act of openness, humility, and freedom.

In the age of AI, continuing to learn a foreign language means refusing the path of least resistance. It means choosing effort, nuance, and connection. It also means refusing to let the machine do everything for us. Including thinking.