AI Translation of the Gaza-Israel War Terminology

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of translation equivalents given by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the Gaza-Israel War terminology and their semantic, syntactic, contextual, and orthographic inaccuracies’ and the translation strategies used by both,. A sample of 250 English and Arabic 2023-2024 Gaza-Israel War terminology that included names of cities, refugee camps, crossing, settlements, leaders, Palestinian Jihadist groups, war nicknames, brigades, Gaza hospitals, humanitarian organizations, military ranks, weapons, military operations and metaphors was collected from mainstream media. The terms were translated via two artificial intelligence (AI) systems: Microsoft Copilot (MC) and Google Translate (GT). Analysis of the translations yielded by MC and GT showed identical correct equivalents to 48% of the terms (Al-Yassin shell قذيفة الياسين & air power القوة الجوية). Both gave correct equivalents with a different wording and different word orders as غزو بري (MC) & التوغل البري (GT) for ground incursion; تحشيد عسكري ( MC) & التعبئة العسكرية (GT) for military mobilization. MC gave more accurate equivalents than GT (29% & 23% respectively). MC and GT gave correct equivalents to 58% of the Arabic items and 38% of the English items. For some terms, MC gave an explanatory equivalent as قاذفة صواريخ متعددة الأغراض for RPG, whereas GT gave ار بي جي which is commonly used by Arabic media. Both made contextual errors as ملاط الياسين (GT) for Al-Yassin mortar; فجر اليوم (MC) for Breaking Dawn. For carpet bombing, MC gave قصف السجاد & GT gave تفجير السجاد which have semantic and syntactic errors. GT gave extraneous translations for chief of staff  رئيس العمال & mortar مونة الاسمنت; MC gave وسائل الإعلام الكورية for Samsung media. Both gave equivalents with faulty word order as نظام ذو مدى أطول (MC) and نظام أبعد مدى (GT) for long-range system. GT gave definite equivalents to 20% of the terms (الفجر-5). Some equivalents have orthographic variations as (هاغانا (MC), الهاجاناه (GT), حنيبعل (MC), هانيبال (GT). MC transliterated rocket arsenal  أرسنال صواريخ & Sofa bush صوفا بوش.  Detailed results recommendations for translation pedagogy and for improving the quality of AI translation are given.