CHATGPT VS MANUAL TRANSLATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON A TOURISM-FOCUSED BILINGUAL PROFILE BOOK
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35194/jj.v13i2.5312Abstract
The rapid development of artificial intelligence technology, particularly in machine translation systems such as ChatGPT, has prompted extensive discourse regarding its efficacy compared to manual translation. This study aims to compare the quality of manual and ChatGPT-generated translations within the context of a tourism-focused bilingual profile book of ‘Big Farmer’, focusing on three analytical levels: lexical, syntactic, and textual. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research examines the differences in word choice, sentence structure, and semantic accuracy between human and machine translations. The findings reveal that although ChatGPT excels in terms of speed and consistency, manual translation remains superior in preserving cultural nuances and linguistic subtlety, especially at the syntactic and textual levels. Distinct from previous studies that predominantly explored scientific, legal, or medical texts, this research highlights the unique challenges of translating a bilingual profile book in the context of tourism, where maintaining tone and brand identity is paramount. This study contributes to translation studies both theoretically, by expanding the knowledge base in English-Indonesian translation, and practically, by providing insights for translators on the prudent application of AI technologies in translation practices.
References
Alowedi, N. A., & Al-Ahdal, A. A. M. H. (2023). Artificial intelligence based Arabic-to-English machine versus human translation of poetry: an analytical study of outcomes. Journal of Namibian Studies?: History Politics Culture, 33, 1523–1538. https://doi.org/10.59670/jns.v33i.800
Awadh, A. N. M. (2024). Challenges and strategies of translating scientific texts: a comparative study of human translation and artificial intelligence. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(4), 9898–9909. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i5.4147
Baker, M. (2018). In other words: a coursebook on translation. Routledge.
Chen, S., & Zhou, T. (2024). Culturally based semantic losses in Lonely Planet’s travel guides translations for Beijing, Shanghai, and Sichuan. Frontiers in Communication, 9(March), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1343784
Falempin, A., & Ranadireksa, D. (2024). Human vs machine: the future of translation in an AI-driven world. Proceedings of the Widyatama International Conference on Engineering 2024 (WICOENG 2024). https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-618-5
Fu, L., & Liu, L. (2024). What are the differences? A comparative study of generative artificial intelligence translation and human translation of scientific texts. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03726-7
Gordon, S. F. (2024). Artificial intelligence and language translation in scientific publishing. Science Editor, 47(1), 8–9. https://doi.org/10.36591/se-4701-05
Moneus, A. M., & Sahari, Y. (2024). Artificial intelligence and human translation: A contrastive study based on legal texts. Heliyon, 10(6), e28106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28106
Nufus, T. Z. (2022). Analysis of translation problems arising from non-equivalence at word level, above word level, grammatical level, textual level, and pragmatic level based on JK Rowling manuscript of “Harry Potter.” Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(6), 2587–2594. http://journalppw.com
Ordorica, S. (2023). Comparing and contrasting AI and human translation. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/06/05/comparing-and-contrasting-ai-and-human-translation/
Puppel, M. (2024). A comparative study of technical and creative text translation: evaluating the performance of ChatGPT (Issue June). L-Universita ta’Malta.
Rellon, M. P. (2024). Language of emotions: Establishing connection with customers in tourism industries. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(10), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i10.3029
Shahmerdanova, R. (2025). Artificial Intelligence in Addiction: Challenges and Opportunities. Acta Globalis Humanitatis et Linguarum, 2(1), 62–70. https://doi.org/10.1177/02537176241274148
Svider, I. A. (2021). Lexical aspects of specialised translation.
Wang, L. (2023). The impacts and challenges of artificial intelligence translation tool on translation professionals. SHS Web of Conferences, 163, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202316302021
Yu, K. (2020). A comparative study of the translation of material culture-loaded words of hongloumeng in the light of skopostheorie. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 11(2), 318–323. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1102.22
Yuxiu, Y. (2024). Application of translation technology based on AI in translation teaching. Systems and Soft Computing, 6(January), 200072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sasc.2024.200072
Zhuang, Y. (2020). A Study of the Translation of Culture-Loaded Words in the Biography of Su Tungpo. OALib, 07(07), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1106518
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
I. Transfer of copyright
By execution of the present Statement Author transfers copyright and assigns exclusively to Publisher all rights, title and interest that Author may have (for the extent transferable) in and to the Article and any revisions or versions, but not limited to the sole right to print, publish and sell the Article worldwide in all languages and media. Transfer of the above rights is referred to as those of the final and published version of the Article but does not restrict Author to self-archive the preprint version of his/her paper.
II. Rights and obligations of Publisher
The Publisher rights to the Article shall especially include, but shall not be limited to:
Ability to publish an electronic version of the Article via the website
Distribution provided by or through joepallt from time to time, selling the Article world-wide (through subscriptions, Pay-per-View, single archive sale, etc.)
Publishing the Article in the printed Journals as listed on the official Website of Publisher
Transferring the copyright and the right of use of the Article.
Taking measures on behalf of the Author against infringement, inappropriate use of the Article, libel or plagiarism.
Publisher agrees to send the text of the Article to the e-mail address of Author indicated in the present Statement for preview before the first publishing either in paper and/or electronic format (Proof). Author shall return the corrected text of the Article within 1 week to the Publisher.
III. Rights and obligations of Author
The Author declares and warrants that he/she is the exclusive author of the Article or has the right to represent all co-authors of the and has not granted any exclusive or non-exclusive right to the Article to any third party prior to the execution of the present Statement and has the right therefore to enter into the present Statement and entitle the Publisher the use of the Article subject to the present Statement.
By executing the present Statement Author confirms that the Article is free of plagiarism, and that Author has exercised reasonable care to ensure that it is accurate and, to the best of Author's knowledge, does not contain anything which is libelous, or obscene, or infringes on anyone copyright, right of privacy, or other rights.
The preprint version is the Authors' manuscript or the galley proof or the Authors' manuscript along with the corrections made in the course of the peer review process. The Authors' right to self-archive is irrespective of the format of the preprint (.doc, .tex., .pdf) version and self-archiving includes the free circulation of this file via e-mail or publication of this preprint on the Authors' webpage or on the Authors' institutional repository with open or restricted access.
For any disputes arising from or in connection with the present Statement Parties agree in the exclusive competence of joepallt's publisher
Date and place of signature
