Poll: Can machine-translating English training data produce culturally sound AI?
Autor da sequência: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
STAFF DO SÍTIO
Oct 19

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Can machine-translating English training data produce culturally sound AI?".

This poll was originally submitted by Ana Moirano. View the poll results »



 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:46
Membro (2007)
Inglês para Português
+ ...
N/A Oct 19

BBC has at least one TV soap opera ("Eastenders") that has been aired for several decades, I wonder if Proz is trying to follow in the same footsteps?

Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Claudio Machado Junior
Philip Lees
 
Zea_Mays
Zea_Mays  Identity Verified
Itália
Local time: 09:46
Inglês para Alemão
+ ...
UH? Oct 19

I need a translator!

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Jennifer Levey
expressisverbis
Maria Laura Curzi
Alexandra Speirs
Cilian O'Tuama
 
Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 04:46
Espanhol para Inglês
+ ...
When in doubt, ask AI? Hmmm... Oct 19

Having read and re-read the question - and then read it again just to be sure I'd not understood it - I asked Gemini what it means.

It replied:
Error: 503{
"error": {
"code": 503,
"message": "This model is currently experiencing high demand. Spikes in demand are usually temporary. Please try again later.",
"status": "UNAVAILABLE"
}
}


It seems Gemini hasn't any more time to waste on this than I have myself.


Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
expressisverbis
Zea_Mays
Claudio Machado Junior
Peter Motte
Maria Laura Curzi
Philip Lees
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 08:46
Inglês para Português
+ ...
What? Oct 19

Frankly, this is one of the reasons why I visit ProZ.com less and less.
When even the questions posted on a platform for language professionals are poorly worded and ambiguous, it does little to inspire confidence in the quality of the forum.


Jennifer Levey
Claudio Machado Junior
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Laura Curzi
Alexandra Speirs
Cilian O'Tuama
Philip Lees
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 08:46
Membro (2007)
Inglês para Português
+ ...
AI overview Oct 19

As the question relates to AI, let’s find out what the AI overview has to say on the subject:

"No, machine-translating English training data generally cannot produce culturally sound AI. While machine translation (MT) preserves basic semantic meaning, it fails to capture deep cultural nuances, local contexts, and unique societal values, often resulting in "cultural translationese" or Western-centric biases.

🎭 Limitations of Machine-Translated Training Data
... See more
As the question relates to AI, let’s find out what the AI overview has to say on the subject:

"No, machine-translating English training data generally cannot produce culturally sound AI. While machine translation (MT) preserves basic semantic meaning, it fails to capture deep cultural nuances, local contexts, and unique societal values, often resulting in "cultural translationese" or Western-centric biases.

🎭 Limitations of Machine-Translated Training Data

• Loss of Idioms and Cultural Context: Machine translation engines frequently struggle with localized idioms, humor, and metaphors. This can lead to literal, unnatural translations that miss the intended emotional or social weight.
• Amplification of Western/Anglocentric Bias: Simply translating English data means the AI still inherits Western norms, legal concepts, historical perspectives, and societal benchmarks. It fails to reflect the organic worldview of the target language's culture.
• Grammatical and Social Mismatch: Languages with complex honorifics, gender dynamics, or relationship-based pronouns (like Japanese, Korean, or Arabic) cannot be adequately accurately mapped from English without native, culturally grounded contexts.
• Superficial Alignment: The AI may learn to speak the target language grammatically, but its underlying logic, ethical values, and behavioral expectations will remain fundamentally American or English-centric."
▲ Collapse


Thayenga
expressisverbis
Philip Lees
 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Alemanha
Local time: 09:46
Membro (2009)
Inglês para Alemão
+ ...
I have only one question. Oct 19

When will these silly AI polls ever meet their very untimely fate? A fate that seems to be long overdue.

Maybe I should develop some kind of AI that will automatically delete all AI related polls.

[Edited at 2026-10-19 16:03 GMT]


Maria Laura Curzi
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Claudio Machado Junior
Philip Lees
 
Peter Motte
Peter Motte  Identity Verified
Bélgica
Local time: 09:46
Membro (2009)
Holandês para Flamengo
+ ...
When they go bust Oct 19

Thayenga wrote:

When will these silly AI polls ever meet their very untimely fate? A fate that seems to be long overdue.

Maybe I should develop some kind of AI that will automatically delete all AI related polls.

[Edited at 2026-10-19 16:03 GMT]


Financially AI is in a very bad shape. Once they bust, those AI things will mostly disappear, and what's left will be expensive.
The first one has fallen: Character .ai Others will follow. It's not a question IF, but WHEN. I hope soon enough


Claudio Machado Junior
 
Cilian O'Tuama
Cilian O'Tuama  Identity Verified
Alemanha
Local time: 09:46
Alemão para Inglês
+ ...
Too polite 02:54

expressisverbis wrote:

When even the questions posted on a platform for language professionals are poorly worded and ambiguous, it does little to inspire confidence in the quality of the forum.


You're too polite. They can't even ask simple questions right!

ProZ has become such an embarrassment. I'm now actually thinking of changing my username to an anonymous one (after 20+ years) as I'm not exactly proud of being here. But that's just me.

[Maybe there should be a forum solely for interaction between AI bots (gemini, chatgpt, perplexity, grok, claude etc.) without human intervention, but it shouldn't be here, on a site for HUMAN language professionals.]

Happy Tuesday!


Philip Lees
 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Grécia
Local time: 10:46
Grego para Inglês
Answer 05:03

Even if it's gibberish, at last we have a question with a definitive Yes/No answer.

Which is:

October 2026 - No

October 2028* - Yes

(*If not sooner)

Next.


 
Philip Lees
Philip Lees  Identity Verified
Grécia
Local time: 10:46
Grego para Inglês
Trek 05:04

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida wrote:

BBC has at least one TV soap opera ("Eastenders") that has been aired for several decades, I wonder if Proz is trying to follow in the same footsteps?

In the US, the Star Trek franchise has just celebrated its 60th anniversary.


 


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Poll: Can machine-translating English training data produce culturally sound AI?






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