The manga community has been quite surprised with the announcement regarding the return of the famous manga series, The Ancient Magus’ Bride (Mahoutsukai no Yome), written and illustrated by Kore Yamazaki. Alongside this news is a significant update: the work will be published simultaneously in Japanese and English, utilizing the immediate support of an AI translation tool named Mantra.
According to the announcement, the translation system is supported by the AI “Mantra,” which combines advanced machine translation technology with the input of professional editors and human translators. With this hybrid approach, the involvement of human translators is significantly minimized, aiming to leverage the efficiency of AI while ensuring the quality and accuracy of the translations.
It’s widely recognized that the manga industry has faced ongoing and considerable damage due to online copyright violations and illegal translations into English. Therefore, this initiative hopes that having AI-assisted translations will allow fans to choose official translations, as they will be produced more quickly than many existing ones.
While the reasons presented seem quite compelling regarding the manga industry, some individuals express concerns about the potential for AI translations to lack the nuance and depth that human translators provide. There are worries that a reliance on AI could lead to translations that do not accurately reflect the original work.
Some people also point out that using AI might bring about issues similar to those experienced when using Google Translate for manga, often resulting in nonsensical sentences. However, in this instance, despite the emphasis on the human touch, there remains a concern that the quality of AI translations could be less reliable compared to the original works.
Nonetheless, this approach significantly diminishes the responsibility of the translator. But does the reduction in human oversight affect quality? This situation has sparked a widespread debate in various online forums, with many supporters and opponents discussing the use of AI in this industry.
Below are some opinions from netizens:
– I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of something. The future of translations seems to be quite uncertain.
– It’s really disappointing, as most translation jobs, editing, and writing for manga, light novels… are likely to be replaced by AI in the upcoming years. This is because the public values speed over quality.
– AI translations might have some errors, but they can still produce some pretty good sentences!
– I’m not surprised by this development. Even Manga Plus is doing something similar with some lesser-known titles. I prefer translations that are produced by a human touch rather than those done by a machine unfamiliar with the task.
– As a professional translator, I find this situation quite concerning. I genuinely do not understand how AI can grasp the nuances of language or the intent behind an author’s work. I often need to read between the lines, but how can AI achieve that?
