Your next Kindle read might be AI-translated

Right now, less than 5% of Amazon’s titles are available in multiple languages, so there’s a massive opportunity for authors to reach more readers.

Of course, AI isn’t perfect – errors can creep in. To help with that, Amazon lets authors preview their translations before publishing. If you’re not fluent in the language, though, you’d still need a human translator to make sure it’s truly accurate. Amazon says translations are “automatically evaluated for accuracy,” but hasn’t shared exactly how that works.

Authors can manage everything from the Kindle Direct Publishing portal – choosing languages, setting prices, and publishing their translated work. Readers will see AI-translated books clearly marked as “Kindle Translate” and can even preview samples before buying, which I think is great. I wouldn’t want to get something that’s barely readable because of a bad translation.

Free for now – but probably not forever

Currently, the Kindle translation service is free, which could be a big deal for self-publishing authors. I mean, sure, there are other AI translation tools out there, but they can be pricey.

Also, by offering its own service, Amazon keeps the authors in its ecosystem all the way. And once the beta ends and more languages are added, I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes with a price tag.

AI vs human translation

Some people – me included – will always raise eyebrows at AI translations, especially for fiction and literary works. Human translators are still far better at capturing nuance, tone, and subtle meaning. I’ve seen AI translations that completely miss the original intent. I mean, “Lost in translation” has never felt more real.

That said, AI is improving fast. With Amazon putting resources into its AI efforts, I wouldn’t be shocked if Kindle Translate starts producing high-quality translations that actually do justice to the originals in the near future.