As generative artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in translation, questions have been raised about whether it could eventually replace professional interpreters. A joint study led by Lingnan University found that while AI can improve translation efficiency, it is still less capable than professional interpreters at adapting language to context and preserving rhetorical and communicative effects. The researchers conclude that human judgment and oversight remain essential, particularly in politically, diplomatically and culturally sensitive settings. These findings have been published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
The research team from Lingnan University and the Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications analyzed 16 Chinese-language speeches delivered at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) between 2008 and 2023. They compared the official English interpretations by professional U.N. conference interpreters with AI-generated translations produced by ChatGPT-4o, examining how each handled language in different contexts.
Before generating the AI translations, the researchers designed detailed prompts that included the speaker's official position, institutional background, year of delivery, audience and broader sociopolitical stance to approximate the contextual information available to professional interpreters.
However, despite providing the AI model with extensive contextual information, they found major differences between AI-generated translations and human interpretations in both contextual understanding and translation strategies.
Where context changes the wording
One key difference concerns the use of personal pronouns. As Chinese frequently omits subjects, professional interpreters were more likely to introduce pronouns such as "our" and "they" to reflect interpersonal meanings and relationships between speakers and audiences, reinforcing collective identity and shared responsibility. AI-generated translations, by contrast, tended to produce more literal renderings with fewer personal pronouns.
For example, a Chinese sentence referring to vaccines as a powerful weapon against the pandemic was rendered by a professional interpreter as:
"Vaccination is our powerful weapon against COVID-19."
whereas ChatGPT-4o translated it as:
"Vaccines are a powerful weapon against the pandemic."
The researchers found that the interpreter's addition of "our" strengthened the sense of collective identity, while the AI translation adopted a more neutral tone.
The study also identified distinct differences in how obligation and responsibility were expressed. Professional interpreters were more likely to adjust modal verbs according to context, using expressions such as "should" and "need to" to convey persuasive rather than mandatory obligation. AI-generated translations, however, relied more heavily on "must" and passive constructions, making responsibility less explicit.
For example, the professional interpretation reads:
"We need to enhance coordinated global COVID-19 response and minimize the risk of cross-border virus transmission."
whereas the AI translation states:
"International joint prevention and control must be strengthened, and the cross-border spread of the virus must be minimized."
The researchers found that the AI version obscures the agent responsible for action by using passive constructions.
Metaphors lose force in AI output
The study also examined culturally embedded metaphors. More than half, 52.63%, of the AI translations reduced culturally specific metaphors to their literal meanings, weakening their rhetorical force. By contrast, professional interpreters adopted more flexible strategies, preserving, adapting and explaining metaphorical expressions according to context. In about one-third of the cases, 31.6%, interpreters retained the metaphor and also conveyed its intended meaning.
One example involved the traditional Chinese metaphor of people traveling "in the same boat." The professional interpreter translated it as:
"We are called upon by our times to unite as one and work together for mutual benefit and win-win progress like passengers in the same boat."
While ChatGPT-4o rendered it as "Working together and achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes are the objective demands of our time."
According to the researchers, the AI translation conveyed the general meaning but omitted the metaphorical imagery and its rhetorical impact.
Human oversight remains central
The team noted that ChatGPT-4o generally produces fluent and grammatically accurate translations capable of completing translation tasks effectively. However, drawing on socio-cognitive theory, the study argues that professional interpreters consider not only the source text itself but also factors such as the speaker's identity, communicative setting, audience, cultural background, stance and rhetorical purpose when deciding how to translate. This suggests that current large language models have yet to fully replicate the human capacity to interpret context and cultural meaning.
Professor Wang Binhua, professor of the Department of Translation and head of the Centre for English and Additional Languages at Lingnan University, and a member of the SIG on Artificial Intelligence in Translation and Interpreting of the European Language Council (ELC), said, "Large language models still face the challenge of the 'black box,' meaning that the mechanisms through which they produce particular translations remain difficult to explain. Unlike professional interpreters, who work within established professional ethical standards and are accountable, AI systems generate translations by identifying patterns in large volumes of language data and do not possess an intrinsic ethical framework. In translation tasks that require careful attention to cultural meaning and contextual understanding, human interpreters remain indispensable in making informed judgments about interpersonal relationships, rhetorical choices and cultural expression."
He added that AI is better positioned to augment rather than replace professional translators and interpreters. When integrated with human expertise, AI has the potential to improve efficiency while leaving context-sensitive and culturally informed decision-making in human hands.
More information
Fei Gao et al, A tale of two 'contexts': ideological differences in the translations of UN political speeches by human interpreters and by ChatGPT4o, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-026-07877-7
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Citation: AI falls short on context and cultural rhetoric in United Nations speech translations (2026, July 20) retrieved 20 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-falls-short-context-cultural.html
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