Amazon announced the launch of Kindle Translate on Thursday. This new AI-powered translation service is designed for authors using Kindle Direct Publishing to help them reach a wider audience. The service is currently in a beta phase and initially translates text between English and Spanish, as well as from German to English. Amazon plans to support more languages over time.
The retail giant pointed out that less than five percent of titles on Amazon are available in more than one language. This statistic suggests there is a significant opportunity for AI translations to make an impact.
However, Amazon acknowledges that AI is not perfect and could introduce errors into the text. To address this concern, authors are allowed to preview their translations before publishing. For authors who do not speak the target language, this preview may not be sufficient. They would likely still need a human translator to review the AI’s work to ensure the best accuracy. Amazon states that its AI translations are automatically evaluated for accuracy before publication, but the company does not detail the specific steps involved in this part of the process.
Authors can manage and access their translations from the Kindle Direct Publishing portal. There, they can select languages, set prices, and publish their translated work. For readers, AI-translated works will be clearly labeled as Kindle Translate titles. They will also have the ability to preview samples of the translation.
Kindle Translate enters a market with many other AI-powered translation services and tools. These competing services have varying pricing and often offer broader support for more languages. There are also open source tools available. Some people in the publishing industry criticize the use of AI for translation, arguing that human translators are better at capturing nuance, particularly in fiction and other literary works. Despite this, AI translation technology is improving and is expected to continue getting better over time.
Currently, Amazon is offering the Kindle Translate service for free. The company’s announcement quotes an early tester who praised this aspect, noting that independent authors have historically struggled to find a cost-effective and trustworthy translation solution.
Amazon also states that translations are eligible to be enrolled in other programs, such as KDP Select. These translated works are also included in the Kindle Unlimited subscription service.