How does generative AI function as an active cross-cultural communication agent?

This study explores how generative AI, specifically ChatGPT-4, transcends its role as a mere translation tool to become an active agent in cross-cultural dialogue and meaning generation. Against the backdrop of the rapid evolution of AI translation technologies, this research employs a posthumanist framework, drawing on Karen Barad’s (2007) agential realism and Roland Barthes’ (1967) concept of the “death of the author,” to examine how AI can function as a dynamic mediator in translation processes. Using the Japanese novel Jimmy as a case study, the research highlights a dual- method approach: translating the original Japanese text into English and Chinese using ChatGPT-4 and conducting a transnational reading session in Penang, Malaysia. The novel, chosen for its accessibility and themes of cultural intersection, served as a medium to examine the potential of AI in fostering cross-cultural understanding. Participants from Japan and Malaysia engaged in discussions on key chapters, offering interpretations shaped by their unique cultural contexts. The findings reveal that generative AI, through mechanisms like critical reading question generation and knowledge base updates, enables translations to incorporate deeper cultural nuances and reflect dynamic interpretations. The process illustrates AI’s capacity to facilitate a “diffractive” translation approach, where intersecting perspectives generate new layers of meaning. However, limitations emerged, such as ChatGPT-4’s RAG filtering, which restricted certain translations and necessitated human intervention. This interplay between AI and human translators underscores the evolving nature of their collaborative relationship. The study highlights generative AI’s potential to transform cultural dialogue and translation practices. By acting as a bridge between diverse cultural perspectives, AI can contribute to educational initiatives, enhance the quality of translations in the industry, and foster mutual understanding in cross-cultural interactions. Future research should explore the scalability of this approach across different languages and cultural contexts, further refining the collaborative dynamics between AI and human participants.

本研究は、生成AIであるChatGPT-4を用いた日本文学作品『ジミー』の 翻訳を事例に、AIが単なる翻訳ツールを超えて異文化対話と意味生成の活性化 エージェントとして機能する可能性を探求したものである。カレン・バラッド の「実在の現実主義」やローラン・バルトの「作者の死」といったポストヒュ ーマニズムの理論を枠組みに採用し、AIが翻訳プロセスで文化的ニュアンスや 動的解釈を取り込む方法を分析した。具体的には、AIと人間の協働による翻訳 プロセスを提案し、批評的質問や解析テキストを通じて翻訳内容を更新・深化 させた。また、マレーシアで開催したトランスナショナル読書会を通じて、参 加者の多様な文化的背景が新たな解釈を生み出す過程を観察した。研究結果か ら、生成AIは文化的文脈を動的に反映し、翻訳を単なる技術的行為ではなく文 化的対話の場に転換する潜在能力を持つことが示された。本研究は教育や翻訳 業界、国際交流の分野でのAIの新たな可能性を示し、異文化対話を促進する具 体的手法を提案する。