JAT (Japan Association of Translators) has put out a press release in regards to the usage of AI to quickly produce and export translated manga. It concludes that AI is unable to translate “high-context, story-centric” writing such as novels, games, and manga.
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The full press release is available on JAT’s website in both Japanese and English. JAT states that it has strong reservations about using AI to translate and export manga in high quantities. This is because AI is unable to adequately portray cultural nuance and character traits. The usage of it decreases the value and quality of the work.
Reliance on AI also takes away work from translators who’ve supported the manga industry for years. JAT expresses its disappointment and concern at how people and corporations are undervaluing translators’ experience and skill all for the sake of reducing costs. The final reason JAT lists for why it doesn’t approve of AI translation in creative works is because it’ll lead to more piracy. Poorly translated official work may cause consumers to lose trust in those outlets and instead, turn to fan-translated pirate versions.
Because manga is such an important cultural export for Japan, it helps foreigners understand the country and its people better. That’s why JAT believes translation work, which helps to communicate culture via words, should not be regarded lightly. Based on JAT’s experience and knowledge, it believes that AI is not suitable for novels, games, scripts, manga, and the like due to the high-context, story-centric nature of these pieces of writing.
Relying on AI for translation hurts not only the manga and translator industries, but may have negative repercussions on the country (Japan) as well. JAT believes that professional translators are necessary in order to engage fans around the world. It believes that industry professionals, manga artists, government workers, translators, translator associations, and readers must all engage in careful debate in regards to the future of AI in creative writing.
Many Japanese companies and publishers are turning to AI translating in order to push out manga at a fast pace and high volume. Orange is a start-up that aims to use AI to translate manga. In December 2023, the author for The Ancient Magus’ Bride allowed Bushiroad and Mantra to use Mantra Engine (an AI translation program) to translate her work and distribute it abroad. Centaurs‘s translation was AI and the end result was a very shoddy piece of work. Recently, Wuthering Waves and Trails of Cold Steel: Northern War seemed to use heavy MTL in its localization, with many players showing off the odd wording in these properties.
As Japan is already moving to outlaw AI learning from manga artists, time will tell the government’s decision in regards to AI translation.
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