Ma from Hebei relocated to the capital in 2006 for the same reason as Li. "Most of my clients were introduced by friends in the same industry, and I was usually hired to do transcripts of media interviews," the 32-year-old said.
Before long, she was regularly working in the studios of China Central Television, the State broadcaster, and Beijing TV, and by 2010, she had helped produce transcripts of a number of high-profile shows, including CCTV's Legal Report.
"Those were the most exciting experiences of my 20s," she said, laughing. "I didn't know what a TV interview was like until I stepped into a TV studio."
Ma eventually moved back to her hometown with her husband and children, but she continues to work on interviews by receiving and sending files through the internet.
"I'm the main breadwinner in my family because this job allows me to earn more money than my husband," she said. "What's more, it keeps me connected with the outside world."
Coexisting with AI
Courts are a major source of work for stenographers, who record proceedings for the public record. However, tech tycoon Liu Qingfeng is hoping to change that.
Liu's company, iFlytek－which is headquartered in Hefei, Anhui province, and makes language input software and voice-recognition programs－unveiled an AI system last month that will not only record court hearings, but also aid judges in reviewing criminal cases.
"We're now able to use AI to help judges review four types of cases, namely homicide, theft, telecom fraud and illegal fundraising," he said at a news conference on March 5. As he spoke, his words appeared on a screen beside him almost instantly, demonstrating the speed and accuracy of the company's technology.
Stenographer Li Zhengjie said the rapid developments seen in AI in recent years have raised concerns about the future of his profession.
"I've been thinking about this problem since 2010, and I used to worry my job may one day no longer exist," he said, adding that voice-recognition software like that produced by iFlytek is the No 1 reason why demand from journalists for transcription services is drying up.
"When the conversation takes place in a very quiet environment and all the speakers are talking loudly and clearly, such apps work better and more efficiently than us humans," he conceded.
Yet he said he feels confident that such technology will not replace conference stenographers, at least not in the short term.
"I've never doubted the necessity for a human stenographer because only we can recognize who is speaking when, so we can record the correct order of speakers," Li said. "Plus, the environments at forums and conferences are usually too noisy for voice translation apps to work efficiently."
Ma agrees, and added that most interview recordings she works on are also conducted in noisy environments such as on streets or in restaurants.
Li said he ultimately believes his job can coexist with AI systems.
"It's like radio versus television," he explained. "When TV arrived and became popular in every household, many people were saying radio was a dying industry. Yet both are running well today and simply have adjusted to cater to varying customer demand.
"Such coexistence will also be seen between stenography and AI," he added.
