The controversy over whether AI translation can replace human translation persists, with two opposing viewpoints in academic circles: the "replacement theory" and the "assistance theory". Its diverse practical scenarios are gradually emerging: in the field of education, algorithms are used to optimize and improve teaching, assist in training and assessment, leading to a significant increase in efficiency; in interdisciplinary fields, it has great potential in multimodal translation, communication assistance for special groups, and professional text processing, while also providing technical support for cultural communication. However, its limitations are obvious: when dealing with culture-intensive texts or abstract expressions, it is difficult to replicate the subjectivity and emotional resonance of human translators; when processing characteristic languages, it often lacks coherence due to insufficient logic. Ethically, it gives rise to issues such as privacy leakage, text homogenization, language hierarchy, and weakening of subjective consciousness. In response to this, we need to focus on human-machine collaboration, cultivate versatile talents with "translation + technology" capabilities, promote the industry to balance technological empowerment and humanistic care, and facilitate the sustainable development of the translation field.

Authors:
Xin Li, Northeastern University, China

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Xin Li is currently an associate profesor and vice-dean at Foreign Studies College, Northeastern University of China.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule

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