#51 Lost in Translation: Are Translation Careers Safe From AI?
Korean dramas, French cinema, Japanese murder-mystery novels are examples of how the entertainment industry is dependent on translators. But will this soon be done entirely by AI instead of humans?
Hello,
Welcome to The Book People, a weekly newsletter on the business of media and storytelling.
The way we consume entertainment today would be impossible without translators. Translators have become indispensable across various fields of entertainment: TV shows, films, music, books, etc. In India itself, we’ve seen a rise in regional language translations in books, movies and TV shows.
In 2021, an article did say that there is a growing demand for translators but that scenario has changed in the past few years. Recent graduates who studied translation felt unsure about their future and upcoming job opportunities.
Why? AI.
While a lot of industries feel threatened by AI, translation is one that was that felt its effects quicker than most. Even Duolingo, the go-to app for learning a new language, preferred AI over human contract workers to create generative AI to develop its content.
“The majority of jobs for translators are translating the bric-a-brac of everyday life – instruction manuals, advertisements, websites. Since this can be done much quicker with AI, I fear that the majority of translation jobs are at risk,” said a master’s student in translation.
However, this student felt that literary translation was a niche that was relatively safer from AI, although it was a competitive niche. This does stand true in India as well, as we analysed in a previous newsletter that there is a significant rise in regional translations of books and hence a rising demand for translators. Translating dialogues for movies and TV shows can also be considered safe as they require a deep understanding of cultural contexts and slang, and beyond just the words, the emotions have to come across clearly as well.
Most companies prefer using AI to translate short-form content as it is significantly cheaper than hiring humans to translate. However, the quality of the translation is also quite visibly not up to human standards, which is why human intervention is still necessary. Especially in the entertainment industry, where an error in translation can mean communicating something offensive in the target language, or worse, being meme-d on the internet for the mistake.
While we cannot make predictions about the future of this field, it is clear that the use of AI has diminished the scope of work for humans thus intensifying competition within the field.
Job Board
Discover the best opportunities in India’s publishing and creative industries.
Assistant Manager – SEO - Penguin Random House - Gurgaon-based
Candidates should have 2-3 years hands on experience in SEO, ideally on ecommerce platforms like Amazon, as well as a love for books and stories and excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Interested candidates can apply for the job here.
Publishing Consultant - Bookleaf Publishing - Remote
Responsibilities inlcude providing consultation over calls to our potential clients regarding packages and processes and guiding authors through the publishing process and making sure their words reach the right audience.
To apply and know more about the role, click here.
Weekly Learning
Deepen your knowledge and develop your skills with a new resource every week.
100 Creative Writing Prompts by Writers Digest
Just because NaPoWriMo is over, doesn’t mean you should stop writing everyday. Here are some prompts you get your creative muscles going
Found this useful? Subscribe for weekly updates and share this newsletter with your friends.
If you have any writing-related questions for the Bound editors, comment below, or reply back to this email!