STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON AI TRANSLATION: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS

In addition to the availability of machine translation technologies such as Google Translate, people now have the option of employing Generative AI to carry out the translation tasks. GenAI is capable of producing translations in any language in a quick and efficient manner. Students in English department who might be interested in pursuing careers as language translators in the future, should have mastered artificial intelligence technologies in order to thrive in the world that is always changing. The purpose…

By the Truvace deskOctober 22, 20262 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-2196· cite & verify

In brief

Researchers interviewed twenty-two English-department students at Binus University who were enrolled in a Translation course. They asked how students place AI tools like ChatGPT relative to human translation, and which benefits and concerns shape their attitudes. The transcripts were analysed with Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis framework.

The study identified five themes, from conditional acceptance to ethical and institutional boundaries. This matters for future translators and for teaching, since it suggests students want AI skills yet keep human judgment central. Because the sample is a single department's course, how far the views extend to other students or settings is unclear.

Main points

Twenty-two English-department students at Binus University were interviewed.
All participants were enrolled in a Translation course.
Thematic analysis produced five themes, including conditional acceptance and perceived advantages.
Students raised concerns about overdependence on AI translation.
Findings point to human superiority in meaning and a need for ethical and institutional boundaries.

The gain

Students in a translation course saw AI translation as effective and advantageous, though only as a tool that remains under human control.

The rundown

The study starts from the observation that generative AI can translate into any language quickly, beyond machine translation tools like Google Translate. It argues that students who may become translators should master AI technologies to cope with a changing profession.

Two research questions guided the work: how students position AI translation against human translation, and what benefits and concerns shape their attitude toward using it. Data came from interview transcripts coded openly, grouped into similar codes, then defined as themes.

The five resulting themes were conditional acceptance of AI translation, perceived advantages, concerns about overdependence, human superiority in meaning, and ethical and institutional boundaries. The authors conclude AI translation is a limited tool that humans must continue to control.