Generative AI translation lifts overseas sales of Chinese online literature industry: report
- The industry saw sales rise nearly 40 per cent last year, according to a new report by Tencent Holdings-backed China Literature
- AI has improved translation efficiency by more than 100 times and cut costs by over 90 per cent, according to the Shanghai company
China’s online literature industry has enjoyed a boom in overseas sales, thanks to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology that allows Chinese web novels to be translated quickly for foreign consumption, new research shows.
In 2022, the sector raked in 4.06 billion yuan (US$572 million) in sales from abroad, representing a nearly 40 per cent year-on-year jump, according to a report published on Tuesday by Tencent Holdings-backed China Literature.
The report – supported by the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association, a trade body under the Communist Party’s Publicity Department – highlighted the role of technologies such as generative AI in enhancing efficiency and reducing costs.
These AI tools have streamlined the once labour-intensive translation process, enabling the adaptation of Chinese content into various languages for global markets, the report said.
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As of last year, the Chinese industry had released more than 34 million online publications, with some being translated into over 20 different languages and marketed them in more than 40 countries and regions across Southeast Asia, North America, Europe and Africa, according to the report.
