Repercussions of AI Translation Error in Diplomatic Communication
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gracious response to Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s heartfelt “warmest” Republic Day wishes has been marred by a misinterpretation from Grok, the AI assistant on the social media platform X.
This translation faux pas transformed a benign message of goodwill into a contentious political statement regarding the Maldives.
The misrepresentation attracted scrutiny as users highlighted that Grok’s adaptation of PM Modi’s original communication, penned in Dhivehi to express gratitude for the Republic Day greetings, bore scant resemblance to the Prime Minister’s true sentiment.
In a message shared on X, President Muizzu articulated, “Warmest greetings and best wishes to President HE Smt Droupadi Murmu @rashtrapatibhvn, Prime Minister HE Shri Narendra Modi @narendramodi, the government and the friendly people of India as they celebrate their 77th Republic Day.”
He further remarked, “This day strongly signifies the commitment of the people of India to uphold the principles of freedom, democracy, and good governance.” Muizzu expressed a desire to persist in collaborative efforts to enhance the exemplary bonds that have greatly benefited the welfare of citizens in both nations.
However, Grok’s prior translation of PM Modi’s response stated: “Sukuriyya, Raayithun Majlis. India’s 77th Independence Day celebrations were held in the Maldives, and the Maldivian government participated in the event.
This Sukuriya government has also been involved in the anti-India campaigns of the people. Even in the two anti-India campaigns, they have been at the forefront of the protests.”
HindustanTimes.com quickly noted the erroneous translation, which was subsequently rectified to present a more accurate rendition.
The amended translation conveyed: “Thank you, President Muizzu. On the occasion of India’s 77th Republic Day, I gratefully accept the warm congratulations and best wishes that you have extended, with respect and esteem.
We will continue to advance the work we are doing together for the benefit of the citizens of both nations. I wish all Maldivian citizens a future filled with happy and prosperous days ahead.”
Responses to the mistranslation proliferated across X, with many users describing it as troubling and asserting that the chatbot is laden with “propaganda.”
One user juxtaposed Grok’s problematic translation with outputs from ChatGPT and Perplexity, commenting, “It seems Grok is full of manipulation and propaganda rather than being just a chatbot AI.”
Another user raised concerns about the implications of such errors, questioning, “What ‘game’ is Grok playing?” and deemed the blunder a significant issue. “Ye kaun sa game khel diya @grok translation ne [what game did Grok translation play]?”
A user remarked on the unprecedented nature of such a deliberate act while simultaneously highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
Source link: Hindustantimes.com.
