“ChinAI #258: Is translation already dead in the AI era?” by Jeffrey Ding

Greetings from a world where… translation is an art of disappointment …***We’ve hit a bit of a lull in paid subscriptions lately, so please consider subscribing here to support ChinAI under a Guardian/Wikipedia-style tipping model (everyone gets the same content but those who can pay support access for all AND compensation for awesome ChinAI contributors). As always, the searchable archive of all past issues is here. Feature Translation: Did AI kill the translator? Context: This FT Chinese op-ed (link to original Chinese), authored by a translator who draws on her experience doing English-to-Chinese translation work, provides some fascinating insights into the future of translation in the AI age. Key Passages: To jump straight in, I like how she illustrated the differences between ChatGPT and Google Translate for translators. When it comes to content that is complex or has subtle connotations, AI translation will still be incoherent or [...] --- First published: March 18th, 2024 Source: https://chinai.substack.com/p/chinai-258-is-translation-already --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

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Narrations of the ChinAI Newsletter by Jeffrey Ding. China is becoming an indispensable part of the global AI landscape. Alongside the rise of China’s AI capabilities, a surge of Chinese writing and scholarship on AI-related topics is shedding light on a range of fascinating topics, including: China’s grand strategy for advanced technology like AI, the characteristics of key Chinese AI actors (e.g. companies and individual thinkers), and the ethical implications of AI development. While traditional media and China specialists can provide important insights on these questions through on-the-ground reporting and extensive background knowledge, ChinAI takes a different approach: it bets on the proposition that for many of these issues, the people with the most knowledge and insight are Chinese people themselves who are sharing their insights in Chinese. Through translating articles and documents from government departments, think tanks, traditional media, and newer forms of “self-media,” etc., ChinAI provides a unique look into the intersection between a country that is changing the world and a technology that is doing the same.