Dutch publisher uses AI to translate books into English

Dutch publishing behemoth Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK) has announced its intention to begin experimenting with artificial intelligence (AI) to translate selected books into English. The publisher, which was recently acquired by Simon & Schuster, aims to trial this technology on a limited scope, focusing exclusively on commercial fiction titles.

“This project contains less than ten titles – all commercial fiction. No literary titles will nor shall be used,” said Vanessa van Hofwegen, VBK’s commercial director. “This is on an experimental basis, and we’re only including books where English rights have not been sold, and we don’t foresee the opportunity to sell English rights of these books in the future.”

VBK has emphasised that the process will incorporate a human editing phase and that authors have been asked for their consent before proceeding. A company spokesperson said: “We are not creating books with AI, it all starts and ends with human action.”

The initiative has been met with scepticism from literary professionals. Michele Hutchison, acclaimed translator and winner of the 2020 International Booker Prize for her translation of Lucas Rijneveld’s “The Discomfort of Evening,” expressed concerns. “There’s only so far you can get with machine translation post-editing,” she said, adding that while AI might produce a superficially smooth text, it risks resulting in a bland and potentially uninspired product.

David McKay, another prominent translator, warned of the potential pitfalls of AI translations. “Taking the translator out of the loop opens the door to incorrect or misleading translations that will serve readers poorly,” he said.

Concerns are not limited to the quality of translation alone. Ian Giles, co-chair of the Society of Authors’ Translators Association, described the news as “concerning”. Referring to a survey by the SoA earlier this year, Giles noted that over a third of translators reported a loss in work due to generative AI. He argued that if VBK feels the need to involve human translators or editors, it is an acknowledgment of the inherent flaws in using AI for book translation.

These developments at VBK come amidst a broader industry debate about the role of technology in publishing and the appropriate balance between innovation and maintaining the integrity of literary work. As the debate continues, authors, translators and readers alike await the outcomes of VBK’s trials with AI-driven translation. The reactions and results from this initiative will likely influence future practices in publishing, highlighting the tension between technological advancement and artistic authenticity.

Source: Noah Wire Services