ASSESSING THE LIMITS OF AI-BASED TRANSLATION: A COSERIAN PERSPECTIVE

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2026.1.08

Keywords:

Eugenio Coseriu, limits of translation, AI-based translation, Generative AI, ChatGPT, comics

Abstract

Assessing the Limits of AI-Based Translation: A Coserian Perspective. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the way in which AI-based conversational assistants such as ChatGPT, designed to be suitable for use in the field of translation, deal with a translation problem described and analyzed by Eugenio Coseriu in his study Alcances y límites de la traducción (1997). Based on the theoretical framework established by Eugenio Coseriu, who defines translation as: “...a particular type of speech: it is speech with a given content, through another language” (Coseriu, 1997: 168), the main objective of our research is to review the “limits” of translation from Eugenio Coseriu's perspective in order to analyse the degree to which generative artificial intelligence deals with translation difficulties, compared to human translators. To this end, we aim to investigate which translation strategies are used for the linguistic transfer of comics by generative AI. We are particularly interested in observing whether the limits of translation stated by Coseriu correlate with the limits of AI-based translation.

REZUMAT. Evaluarea limitelor traducerii bazate pe IA. O perspectivă coșeriană. Scopul prezentului articol este acela de a analiza modul în care asistenții conversaționali bazați pe IA generativă precum ChatGPT gestionează aspectele problematice ale traducerii descrise și analizate de către Eugenio Coseriu în studiul său Alcances y límites de la traducción (1997). Având ca punct de plecare cadrul teoretic stabilit de către Eugeniu Coșeriu, care definește traducerea ca: «...un tipo particular de hablar: es hablar con un contenido dado de antemano, por medio de otra lengua» (Coseriu, 1997: 168), principalul obiectiv al cercetării noastre este acela de a trece în revistă „limitele” traducerii din perspectiva coșeriană pentru a pune în evidență modul în care IA generativă rezolvă problemele de traducere față de traducătorul uman. Pentru aceasta, dorim să punem în evidență strategiile de traducere utilizare în traducerea benzilor desenate de către IA generativă. Ne vom concentra mai ales asupra observării limitelor traducerii cu care se confruntă IA generativă.

Cuvinte-cheie: Eugeniu Coșeriu, limitele traducerii, traducerea bazată pe IA, IA generativă, ChatGPT, benzi desenate

Article history: Received 09 September 2025; Revised 27 September 2025; Accepted 01 November 2025; Available online 30 March 2026; Available print 30 April 2026.

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Published

2026-03-30

How to Cite

VARGA, C. (2026). ASSESSING THE LIMITS OF AI-BASED TRANSLATION: A COSERIAN PERSPECTIVE. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Philologia, 71(1), 155–172. https://doi.org/10.24193/subbphilo.2026.1.08

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