AI can make China’s political language sound more threatening, scholar warns

Li Yan says human expertise is vital to retaining context in AI translations of Beijing’s policy ideas for overseas audiences

China is being urged to use human translators to refine AI renderings of its political messaging, amid concern that literal translations can make Beijing’s language sound more threatening abroad.

An article in a state-affiliated academic newspaper said the country should strengthen its translation capacity and guard against AI-generated distortions to improve how its policies and intentions were understood overseas.

As AI takes on more translation work, human translators should work alongside the technology, according to Li Yan, a professor at Xian Fanyi University.

“The value of translation goes far beyond language itself,” Li wrote in an article published on Wednesday in Chinese Social Sciences Today, a newspaper run by the Beijing-based Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Li called on Chinese translators to strengthen their ability to refine AI translations according to context, audience and purpose.