"Rebuilding the Tower of Babel", "The Largest Cultural Exchange Ever"... X's Automatic Translation Causes a Stir

"Wow... With automatic translation, it's not just that the cultural barrier is breaking down-it feels like waking up, going into my living room, and finding an Italian guy and an Indonesian lady rummaging through my fridge." (9.92 million views)

The automatic translation service of the social networking service X (formerly Twitter) is drawing significant attention from users around the world. According to IT media outlets such as TechCrunch on the 14th (local time), X rolled out a feature on April 7 that automatically translates posts for all users, following a trial period.

The automatic translation service of social networking service X (formerly Twitter) is receiving great response from users worldwide. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

Previously, users on X could manually translate posts written in other languages using the "Translate" function, but with this update, posts are now automatically translated into the local language without any additional action required. This translation feature utilizes Grok, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla.

After the introduction of the automatic translation service, X users have shown mixed reactions. On domestic social media and online communities, there has been buzz around users from various countries sharing empathy over similar cultural experiences through X. Not only have K-pop fans exchanged information, but discussions on national political issues and feminism have also taken place.

One X user praised the automatic translation feature, saying, "X has rebuilt the Tower of Babel." In the Bible, there is a story in which all people once spoke the same language, but when they attempted to build a tower reaching the heavens, God, angered by their ambition, confused their language and prevented them from completing the tower.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun commented, "Watching posts continuously appear on X, we feel both risk and hope," adding, "Some people are rethinking their views as they exchange messages with people from countries they previously thought they disliked."

On the other hand, in the American online community Reddit, posts have been spreading about how to disable the automatic translation, with complaints such as "The translation quality is too low," "I don't want to know this content," and "It's annoying."

Nikita Bier, head of product at X, announced, "We are launching the automatic translation feature worldwide," and added, "Any post in any language on X will be able to reach users everywhere." He emphasized, "Post in your own language. Share your culture and daily life, and make your country the next big trend," declaring, "The largest cultural exchange in history has just been launched."

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.