AI translated light novels to be distributed by Shogakukan app Novelus

The role of AI in translation services continues to grow at a rapid pace, with Shogakukan ready to launch their AI powered light novel app in 2025 according to reports from Nikkei.

The aim is to cut production costs and increase throughput of titles, up to 400 in the first two years. This aggressive foray into foreign markets is reportedly driven by declining birth rates in Japan and the need to increase business in other markets.

The app has received investment from Mantra, a startup from the University of Tokyo that trains AI to translate manga. 

How this news will be received in the market is unclear, however the reduction of human translators has sparked outrage in some quarters and delight in others who consider personal biases and political messaging too overt in some instances, examples being huge omissions from Classroom of the Elite and I'm in Love with the Villainess, where original authors were not informed of the heavy-handed censorship which has seen backlash from fans.

Many will argue that localisation, and not translation, is the real issue. Regardless, this is another step toward machine translation and only time will tell how the market reacts.