The impact of postediting on AI generative translation in Yemeni context: Translating literary prose by ChatGPT
For translation practitioners and researchers, it confirms the necessity of human oversight in AI-assisted literary translation, though the finding is incremental.
This study evaluated ChatGPT-4's literary translations with 30 professional translators, finding that while AI improves speed, it struggles with cultural and stylistic nuances, requiring human postediting for quality.
This study examines the role of artificial intelligence in translation, focusing on ChatGPT, specifically ChatGPT-4, and the extent to which human postediting is required in literary translation. A mixed-method approach was adopted, involving 30 professional translators who evaluated and postedited AI-generated translations of selected Arabic and English literary texts. The results show that although AI improves translation speed and accessibility, it remains limited in handling cultural, stylistic, and figurative aspects of language. Participants generally confirmed the necessity of human postediting, particularly in novels and drama. The findings indicate that emerging human-machine collaboration model rather than replacement of human translators. The study concludes that AI should be used as a supportive tool, while human expertise remains essential for ensuring translation quality and cultural appropriateness.