The Impact of AI on Bible Translation: Opportunities and Challenges

AI image: Google Gemini

By Taeho Jang

Forty years ago, I began studying artificial intelligence. Machine translation, a specialized field within AI, sparked my initial interest in Bible translation. At that time, I was fortunate to study early AI tools designed specifically for Bible translation work. My career eventually shifted toward becoming a translator and linguist, allowing me to experience the complete process of traditional Bible translation—from the phonological analysis of the target language to the completion of the New Testament. This journey provided me with valuable insider perspectives on Bible translation while reinforcing my ongoing interest in applying computational technology to the field.

The rule-based translation systems of that era presented significant limitations. They required human experts to explicitly define linguistic rules, but I quickly discovered that the inherent complexity of language made it virtually impossible to formulate comprehensive rule sets that could adequately capture all linguistic phenomena.

A watershed moment

When AlphaGo defeated a human champion at Go in 2016, I sensed a profound technological breakthrough. This moment signaled a key advancement in the Fourth Industrial Revolution—the development of sophisticated language models that accurately simulate human language processing. These innovations are fundamentally transforming language-related fields, particularly translation, and Bible translation is no exception. This AI revolution reignited my decades-old vision of leveraging AI for Bible translation.

The Third Industrial Revolution's information age created standardized biblical text databases that now serve as crucial foundations for implementing data-driven AI translation technologies. However, many languages still awaiting translation have limited linguistic data, creating challenges for AI application. We addressed this obstacle by transferring translation intelligence from language models developed for resource-rich languages. This approach resulted in the Scripture Forge AI drafting product, which was released in 2024 and is currently implemented or in preparation in nearly 500 projects around the world.

Feedback from my AI translation workshop participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Teams that previously completed New Testament translations and subsequently applied AI drafting to Old Testament books report “amazing” quality results. For translation environments where sustaining human translator engagement is challenging, AI drafting provides valuable, continuous assistance. However, results vary. Projects with limited or poor-quality training data may experience suboptimal outcomes, resulting in the need for expert consultation.

AI’s advantages ... and risks

AI translation's primary advantage is its ability to produce naturally flowing language, which often surprises mother tongue translators (MTTs) experiencing AI drafting. However, this naturalness can mask risks when AI prioritizes fluency over fidelity, occasionally using expressions that diverge from the source text’s meaning. These localized errors hidden within otherwise fluent text represent potential risks in AI translation.

Critical evaluation skills are essential for identifying these subtle errors and effectively utilizing AI drafts. Translation teams that adopt AI without sufficient critical assessment capability may overlook nuanced inaccuracies, potentially leading to unintended consequences. Comprehensive understanding and training are therefore crucial safeguards. These same principles apply broadly when integrating AI technologies into church contexts.

The fundamental change AI brings to society can be characterized as resource decentralization. This shift is particularly significant for Bible translation—a long-term ministry dependent on MTTs’ capabilities and sustained availability. Languages still awaiting translation typically exist in resource-constrained environments. AI technology offers a revolutionary solution by dramatically increasing translation resources for these underserved language communities, providing renewed hope for completing translations for all remaining languages.

Intelligence forms the essence of AI and drives the Fourth Industrial Revolution. During the Third Industrial Revolution, humans retained decision-making authority over information processing. However, as the current revolution progresses, AI increasingly assumes decision-making functions. The Bible translation process involves countless decisions across multiple domains—from MTTs' word selection to consultant checking. AI's role in this decision-making landscape carries profound implications.

AI transforms human roles

When AI handles simple, repetitive drafting decisions, translation efficiency increases substantially. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that humans should retain final authority over high-level decisions, particularly those involving exegesis and theological nuance. As AI capabilities rapidly advance, we must resist the misconception that AI can independently complete Bible translation. The essential characteristic of Bible translation is its spiritual dimension—a process guided by the Holy Spirit through prayer. We must vigilantly preserve this spiritual aspect amid technological advancement.

The current Scripture Forge AI drafting system aims to produce only initial drafts (draft 0), with subsequent processes following established translation protocols involving human oversight. Some express concern that AI drafting might deprive MTTs of skill-development opportunities traditionally gained through manual drafting. However, this technological shift actually presents MTTs with a new opportunity for professional advancement. AI fundamentally transforms the translation paradigm—elevating MTTs' roles from drafting to critical evaluation and refinement of AI-generated drafts.

Importantly, high-quality manual translation experience remains essential before implementing AI tools. This practice provides translators with the necessary expertise to effectively evaluate AI-generated content. The critical thinking skills required to identify subtle errors in AI drafts build upon existing translation competencies. Another reason why this manual translation is necessary is because a certain amount of training translation data is required to utilize AI.

The opportunity to leverage AI capabilities is now available to teams that have already completed substantial translation work. Translation teams interested in exploring AI implementation can sign up for the Scripture Forge program, click the Generate Draft button and sign up for drafting to receive personalized guidance on integration options.

By carefully balancing technological innovation with human expertise and spiritual sensitivity, Bible translation can harness AI's powerful capabilities while maintaining translation fidelity.

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Dr. Taeho Jang of Global Bible Translators (GBT) in South Korea is a translation consultant actively engaged in AI-assisted Bible translation. He helps many translation teams through AI translation workshops and seminars. Contact him at taehojan@gmail.com