CHAI Mingjiong, a seasoned translator and translation instructor with Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) in east China, recently reminisced about his experiences of utilizing ink pens to meticulously translate documents for the United Nations during the 1980s.
Back then, he had to visit libraries and even engage in discussions with professionals from different industries to gather necessary references. “Now, things have changed a lot, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies,” said Chai, who founded the prestigious Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation at SISU in 2003.
In just a few decades, the translation landscape in China, a populous economic giant with high demand for cross-cultural communication, has undergone seismic shifts — from simple pens and dictionaries to modern computers equipped with electronic glossaries, and now, rapidly evolving AI technology.
This era of technological marvels has presented translators in the country with unparalleled opportunities, alongside unprecedented challenges, shaping the profession in ways never imagined before.
At the annual gathering of the Translators Association of China (TAC), which took place last week in Dalian, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, AI once again took centre stage in discussions.
A report on AI and translation, presented by TAC at the meeting, revealed the remarkable journey of AI translation technology, evolving from being a mere subject of intrigue in laboratories to being embraced widely in commercial settings throughout the nation. Its influence has permeated vital industries, including cross-border trade, cultural exchange, education, and healthcare, among others.
In 2024, the proportion of Chinese enterprises using translation technology to complete translation tasks reached 97.1 per cent, an increase of 2.5 per cent compared with 2023; the proportion of practitioners using such technology to complete translation tasks reached 97.7 per cent, the TAC revealed at the meeting.
The report said that by the end of 2024, the number of companies specializing in “machine translation” or “AI translation” had grown to 1,545 — marking an increase of over 700 compared to the previous year.
It also highlighted the integration of AI translation technology into multimodal applications, leading to the rapid emergence of smart translation devices.
Industry insiders noticed a tendency among clients to push for lower rates due to competition from AI. However, in 2024, over 80 per cent of translation firms reported growth in their operating income or maintained it at the same level compared with 2023.
Stephanie Zhu, owner of a Shanghai-based translation firm, told Xinhua that while it’s difficult to quantify the exact impact of AI translation technology on their business, it has undoubtedly altered the work patterns of translation professionals.
“AI technology can be effectively used for highly replicable texts, optimizing translation processes and boosting productivity,” she explained. — Xinhua
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