The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing the Translation of Literary Texts.

Abd Al-Aziz Al-Najjar., Fatima

doi:10.21608/bfsgm.2025.443004

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing the Translation of Literary Texts.

Author

Fatima Abd al-Aziz al-Najjar.

Al-Azhar University

10.21608/bfsgm.2025.443004

Abstract

This study investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of translation, with particular focus on the translation of literary texts. It begins by defining key concepts such as artificial intelligence, machine translation, and literary translation, before exploring the technologies used in AI-driven translation, including the platforms that have enhanced translation through these innovations. The study then examines the advantages of AI in translation, evaluates the quality and accuracy of AI-generated outputs, and considers the specific challenges posed by the literary genre. Practical examples are provided, along with a discussion of best practices for the effective use of AI in this domain.
The study is divided into two main components: a theoretical framework and an applied analysis. This dual structure necessitated the use of multiple methodologies, including a historical approach to trace the development of AI, a descriptive approach to map the systems and benefits of machine translation, and an applied approach involving the translation of selected literary texts using AI tools.
The study arrives at several findings. AI has demonstrably improved the quality and precision of translation through the use of natural language processing, neural networks, and deep learning techniques. These developments represent a qualitative shift in the field of machine translation. However, the translation of literary texts requires particular care, as literature conveys human experience, emotion, and thought through aesthetic and expressive language, reflecting the cultural and philosophical heritage of its source.
Neural machine translation faces persistent challenges in this area, including preserving creative style, accurately rendering rhetorical and literary aesthetics, understanding historical and cultural context, navigating semantic ambiguity, handling rare vocabulary, and interpreting idiomatic expressions. While neural machine translation excels in speed and basic accuracy, it cannot currently match the interpretive depth or emotional nuance of a human translator.
Accordingly, the study recommends that human translators remain essential for post-editing, revision, and stylistic refinement—especially in literary contexts. This human oversight is indispensable for producing high-quality literary translations and preserving the integrity of the original work. The study also calls for ongoing development of AI algorithms to make them more sensitive to cultural, linguistic, and aesthetic dimensions of language, a task that falls to researchers and specialists in the field.

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