Why Human Translators Still Matter in an AI World
"Every translation is a reading..." - Jacques Derrida As a publisher building French and other language editions of our children’s books, I’ve seen firsthand where today's automated translation tools fall short. Let's face it, AI translation tools are fast, accessible and they are increasingly sophisticated. For quick comparisons or basic checks, they can even be helpful. I use them as part of my toolbox in my workflow as a publisher, but not for the various language adaptations we have now or will be hiring people for in the future. Why we don't use AI translations for our books Publishing children’s books, especially books that deal with breastfeeding, bodies, and early childhood transitions, requires more than technical accuracy. It requires cultural fluency, tonal sensitivity, really it's that lived understanding and being able to share thoughts and feelings in a way that machines can't ever understand. That is where human translators remain essential...