Recently, The Seed Company sponsored a presentation on YouTube titled "Can You Translate the Bible with ChatGPT?" It was well worth the time, very well done, and quite informative. It made me wonder what kind of results would come from similar experts sitting in this format and answering the same questions. I’d enjoy that!
I wanted to highlight some key points related to GenAI and Intellectual Property that may be overlooked in the Bible translation world, at least from my perspective.
At 4:15 AM, Joel Matthew presents a solid working definition of AI—and it’s a good one. However, understanding how the courts define AI, particularly GenAI, is equally important. This is where the freedoms or restrictions regarding GenAI will originate, so having that information can be just as valuable. Several versions are currently in the courts, and I will attempt to compile those.
At 30:00, Roger Hannah references a commonly used term in the translation community: “local ownership “and “local church ownership.” When translating a work from a source text, ownership takes on a legal meaning in that context. This is similar to the biblical term “partner” or “partnership,” which also becomes a legal term when used in working agreements (contracts) between NGOs. As long as it’s never litigated, it functions effectively. Exploring the implications of using the term “local church ownership” would be worthwhile. At some point, as legal knowledge increases, someone may challenge those statements, and organizations may lose the argument. Unfortunately, we often mean that an NGO or Bible Society will own the product the church helped create, not local ownership.
At 44:00, Daniel Whitenack comments on those represented in the panel: a software developer, a startup person, an academic, and a translation consultant. What’s missing? At no point in the discussion does anyone mention the necessity of including a representative from the one discipline that may complicate everyone’s AI work in Bible translation. That is, Intellectual Property. Ongoing discussions about the feasibility of GenAI in translations should involve experts in legal matters. Bringing them in from the start will reduce the likelihood of significant legal expenses later on. Is that self-serving on my part? I don’t believe so. (I’m not an attorney.)
Finally, at 56:00 – What is the biggest opportunity and the biggest threat using AI for Bible translation? James Cuéno poses this question to each panelist. The answers are thoughtful and unsurprising. However, Michael Martin highlights a crucial point: “The biggest threat . . . is how to do all of these types of online activities in a secure way to protect the translators…” Interesting, accurate, and well-said.
Blessings, and have a great weekend!
Bruce Erickson © 2025 This article is licensed Attribution CC BY-SA 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa).