This study examines how humanness is manifested in cross-cultural communication in the age of AI, illustrating creative and affective forms of communication in digital culture. Today’s cross-cultural communication is often characterised by the emergence and convergence of digital technologies and the diversification of cultural practices, which traverse human and non-human bodies, actual and virtual spaces, and the mainstream and the niche. Against this backdrop, human-machine interaction and collaboration in translation have become significant socio-cultural practices within a globally networked environment. Recent advancements in AI – such as generative AI, writing and editing assistants, and machine translation – have dramatically changed how we communicate across languages and cultures. While these developments offer promising opportunities, they also bring challenges that may threaten the richness of human communication, leading to more superficial and homogenised forms of expression. In this context, this study explores where humanness resides and how it contributes to cross-cultural communication. To this end, it draws on a case study of subtitling and machine translation through an analysis of content and audience responses from YouTube and X. The analysis traces forms of human intelligence that cannot be readily replicated by AI or machine translation systems that primarily transfer semantic meaning in cross-cultural communication. In particular, among the many components that constitute humanness in communication, this study focuses on how creativity and authenticity are achieved and perceived through the conceptualisation of ‘non-representational translation’ and ‘authenticity of effort’. Ultimately, this study offers a nuanced understanding of translation within today’s complex digital media.

Authors:
Seryun Lee, The University of Sydney, Australia

About the Presenter(s)
Seryun Lee is a Lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sydney. Her research interests centre on translation in digital media culture, online communication, and contemporary Korean culture and society.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/seryunlee/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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