Investigating novice translation students’ AI literacy in translation education

Recent developments in AI translation have attracted renewed attention to the impact of technology in translation education and professional practice. However, specialised training in AI translation, including the latest generative AI and neural machine translation, is typically available only to postgraduate or upper-level undergraduate students. It may be naïve to believe that younger students are not already using AI translation tools prior to, and earlier in, their studies. Therefore, this study critically examined, via a questionnaire with open-ended questions, the AI literacy of novice students (n = 51) in the context of translation education, including their knowledge, usage, evaluation and ethical awareness. Our participants self-reported and exhibited knowledge pertaining to AI translation, with AI translation reported being utilised as a reference to understand the source text and provide suggested translations. Of significant concern is that some participants reported having more confidence in their competence to identify and correct errors produced by AI tools but were not aware of the possible negative impacts and ethical issues involved in AI. Building upon a critical discussion of our findings, we argue that AI translation and translation technology should be integrated from the onset of translation education to empower students to become more informed, critical and ethical professionals.