Key Term Research in the AI Era: Relevance and Impact

AI is revolutionizing every field at an unprecedented pace, including Bible translation. AI generated Zero Draft would significantly accelerate the translation process with a rough product before the team. This has the potential to make Scripture more accessible in every language. Nevertheless, are teams fully leveraging AI’s advantages as intended? Do biblical term choices in minority languages depend on dominant language versions? Should translators still invest time in researching biblical terms in the AI era? Can we presume that every translation team is prepared or willing to refine an AI-generated draft? Are Mother Tongue Translators regarded solely as a means to accomplish the objective, or are we also investing in their professional development? Is ethical appraisal considered from the planning stage to the completion of a project?
This paper is a Case study on 12 initiatives in S. Asia that have generated a Zero Draft of OT from the NT. We can categorize the translation teams into three groups:

Enthusiasts: those who embrace Zero Draft as a basis for editing toward a First Draft.
Utilitarians: those who use it only as a reference.
Marginalized Observers: those who discard or set it aside.

This study explores the mindset of the MTTS and the translation workflows, especially in handling the Biblical Terms. Biblical Terms are the backbone of translation and there are meaning component variations between OT and NT. Therefore, whether the translators are modifying a Zero Draft or drafting on their own, they should be prepared to manage the OT texts with the necessary training and application. This paper also highlights practical knowledge and skill development for the MTTs to enhance text quality, cultural and linguistic accuracy, and balance speed with quality, even amid AI-driven translation advances.