The challenges and ethics of AI translation : a case study of translating Chinese online literature

Abstract

Translation, as a key tool in promoting the global expansion of Chinese online literature, has greatly benefited from the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years, significantly enhancing translation efficiency and reducing costs. However, AI translation still faces numerous challenges, particularly in handling cultural differences, maintaining literary style, and ensuring translation consistency. Additionally, AI translation raises profound ethical considerations regarding moral agency, responsibility attribution, and the ethical decision-making logic embedded in technology design. Through specific case studies, this research reveals the shortcomings of AI translation in cultural understanding and literary expression, explores the ethical decision-making logic in AI translation technology design, clarifies issues of responsibility attribution, proposes multi-level ethical standards, and emphasizes the role of human translators and post-translation editors in supervising and optimizing the AI translation process. 翻译作为推动中国网络文学全球化的重要手段,近年来受益于人工智能(AI)的快速发展,大幅提高了翻译效率并显著降低了成本。然而,AI翻译在处理文化差异、维持文学风格及确保翻译一致性等方面仍面临诸多挑战。此外,AI翻译在伦理层面引发了关于道德代理、责任归属及技术设计伦理决策逻辑的深刻思考。本研究通过分析具体案例,揭示了AI翻译在文化理解和文学表达中的不足,探讨了AI翻译技术设计中的伦理决策逻辑,明确了责任归属问题,提出了多层次的伦理规范,并强调了人类译者和译后编辑者在AI翻译流程中的监督与优化角色。