Is It Really Necessary to Learn Languages in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), it seems that learning a foreign language has become less necessary. With apps and automated translators that can translate what we say in real time, it might seem that dedicating hours and hours to learning a language is a thing of the past. Why spend months, or even years, memorising vocabulary and practising grammar when an app can do it for us instantly?

However, there is something deeper about learning a language that cannot be easily replaced by AI. Learning a language means understanding a culture, feeling how emotions are expressed, grasping nuances, jokes, and double meanings. Have you ever tried telling a joke to an automatic translator? Most of the time, the punchline is lost, and that's because AI lacks that cultural context and the human spark that only someone who has learned the language can have.

Moreover, speaking a language without relying on an app creates a genuine connection with people. It's the difference between being a tourist passing through and someone who can have a deep conversation, share ideas, and truly understand how the other person thinks. AI can be an impressive tool, but at the moment it cannot replicate the magic of a spontaneous, sincere conversation in another language.

This reminds me of other areas where technology has advanced, yet many people still prefer the traditional approach. There are still those who prefer reading books on paper rather than using e-readers, enjoying the feel of the paper, the smell of a new or old book. There are also those who value learning calligraphy, even though most of our communication nowadays is digital, and many people almost never write by hand anymore. Similarly, there are musicians who prefer to compose and play their music without the help of AI, enjoying the personal creative process and the direct expression of their emotions. And there are painters and designers who continue to work in a traditional way, creating their works without the intervention of technology, relishing the direct contact with their materials and the artisanal process. In all these cases, what they seek is a human experience, unique, which technology cannot fully replicate.

I’m not saying AI isn't useful—it absolutely is, and very much so. In fact, depending on the purpose of communication, AI can serve its function perfectly well, especially when it comes to conveying basic information or solving simple communication problems. But if what you’re looking for is to genuinely connect with others, understand what they feel, and enjoy the small subtleties of each language, then learning a language remains irreplaceable.

What do you think? Do you believe that, with today’s technology, learning a language is no longer necessary? Or do you think the human experience of speaking and understanding still has something special that AI cannot match? I’d love to read your thoughts and open up this debate.