Yes, Oui, Si, and Hai: Interpreters ready for Tokyo Olympics

Ponomarev sees the power of artificial intelligence on the horizon, closing in on the professional interpreter's space. — AP

TOKYO: Alexandre Ponomarev is the chief interpreter for next year's Tokyo's Olympics. He speaks more than a half dozen languages: Russian, English, Spanish, French, German, Danish and Ukrainian. And he can get by in a handful of others.

But at times, even he needs an interpreter – for instance, when he's working in Japan.