AUDIOVISUAL TRANSLATION IN THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: NEW HORIZONS AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The article examines the key features of audiovisual translation in the age of digital transformation. The research specifically explores how artificial intelligence-based tools such as machine translation, speech recognition, and speech synthesis are reshaping the traditional dubbing process for audiovisual content. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of applying artificial intelligence for dubbing “The Lion King” animated film into Russian and Kazakh.

The research involved a comprehensive analysis of dialogue and song fragments from the film, where artificial intelligence-powered technologies were partially used in the dubbing process. In particular, the comparative method made it possible to identify differences between traditional and automated dubbing, as well as to reveal the specific features influencing the choice of translation strategies in both Russian and Kazakh languages. Semantic analysis was applied to evaluate the degree of accuracy in preserving the original meaning in the dubbed versions. Linguopragmatic analysis was used to determine the communicative effect of the translation and its adequate perception by the target audience. Multimodal discourse analysis focused on evaluating the degree of synchronization between on-screen characters’ speech and their lip movements, as well as examining the timing and intonational characteristics of the dubbed audiovisual material. In addition, the continuous sampling method was employed to select empirical material from various scenes of the film being analyzed. Thus, the comprehensive approach to analyzing the automated Russian and Kazakh dubbing of “The Lion King” animated film enabled the authors to reveal how the original meaning, emotional impact, stylistic and cultural peculiarities were preserved and synchronized with the audio and visual tracks in both translation versions.

The research findings demonstrate that artificial intelligence is considered the most effective tool for performing basic technical tasks such as preliminary speech synchronization, sound processing, and the choice of lexical units based on precise timing and articulatory constraints. However, the study proves that artificial intelligence-driven tools cannot fully replace human translators since they lack the capacity to accurately convey the original message, evoke specific emotions, and perform cultural adaptation of audiovisual material for the target audience. The research has practical significance as its findings can benefit translators, educators, researchers, and professionals in the audiovisual industry who are interested in the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence-powered technologies.