Poll: Can machine-translating English training data produce culturally sound AI?
Initiator des Themas: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com-Mitarbeiter
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: 01:25
Mitglied (2007)
Englisch > Portugiesisch
+ ...
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
 
Zea_Mays
Zea_Mays  Identity Verified
Italien
Local time: 02:25
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
UH? Oct 19

I need a translator!

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Ines Radionovas-Lagoutte, PhD
Jennifer Levey
expressisverbis
Maria Laura Curzi
Alexandra Speirs
 
Jennifer Levey
Jennifer Levey  Identity Verified
Chile
Local time: 21:25
Spanisch > Englisch
+ ...
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
 
expressisverbis
expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 01:25
Englisch > Portugiesisch
+ ...
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
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 01:25
Mitglied (2007)
Englisch > Portugiesisch
+ ...
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
 
Thayenga
Thayenga  Identity Verified
Deutschland
Local time: 02:25
Mitglied (2009)
Englisch > Deutsch
+ ...
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
 
Peter Motte
Peter Motte  Identity Verified
Belgien
Local time: 02:25
Mitglied (2009)
Niederländisch > Flämisch
+ ...
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
 


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






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